Stephen A. Crockett Jr., your senior editor at this very website, and I have a running bet that the NFL won’t last until Week 8—I mean, Week 7—due to its inability to circumvent COVID-19. And if today’s news is any indication, we should probably bump that up to Week 6.
From ESPN:
The New York Jets had a positive COVID-19 test for a player and sent all their players and coaches home Friday, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Jets player who tested positive has been retested, and results should be known at some point Friday, a source told ESPN’s Rich Cimini. Players were in the building on Friday morning when the team became aware, and everyone was sent home immediately as the facility was shut down.
Jets players and coaches will conduct their meetings virtually on Friday.
The Jets (0-4) are scheduled to face the Cardinals on Sunday, but I think it’s safe to say that much like Jets coach Adam Gase’s job, that game is now in serious jeopardy.
For their part, the Cardinals are keeping their fingers crossed that they’ll have the opportunity to whoop the Jets asses on Sunday and are “preparing as normal” but will “adjust as necessary,” per Cardinals general manager Steve Keim.
In recent weeks, we’ve seen both the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans have their own wars with the coronavirus, as Pro Bowlers Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore will miss the Pats’ Week 5 matchup against the Broncos (it was rescheduled to Monday after both players tested positive for #ThatRona) and the Titans have so many players and staff members who’ve tested positive—at least 24 total and counting—that they might as well volunteer as tribute for the vaccine trials.
All of this has become a big ass mess that only gets bigger by the day, but I guess that’s what happens when you insist on playing a contact sport during a global pandemic.
It also seems right on-brand for the Jets, who couldn’t win a pea-knuckle war against a dude with no thumbs.
Yeeeeeeeeeah, I think Stephen and I will give the NFL until Week 6 before they pull the plug.