Update: On October 1, the Titans announced they were postponing the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers for later in the season, after another player tested positive for COVID-19. To date, five players and six personnel have tested positive. The Titans facility will remain closed until further notice.
The Tennessee Titans are officially postponing their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, originally scheduled for this Sunday, October 4, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. The news comes after eight people within the Titans organization, including three players, tested positive for COVID-19, with a fourth player later also testing positive.
“The Steelers-Titans game, originally scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, will be rescheduled to allow additional time for further daily COVID-19 testing and to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel,” the NFL said in a statement, via the Titans website. “Details on a new game date and time either on Monday or Tuesday will be announced as soon as possible.”
On Tuesday, defensive lineman DaQuan Jones and long snapper Beau Brinkley, both from the team’s 53-man roster were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, along with tight end Tommy Hudson from the team’s practice squad.
As part of the new protocols for continuing to play amid the coronavirus pandemic, the reserve list category was created this year for a player who either tests positive for COVID-19, or who has been forced to quarantine due to being in contact with someone who has tested positive. Per NFL regulations, each team is required to place the player (or players) on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. More details on each player’s medical condition will not be made available to the public, including whether or not the player has actually had a positive test result.
Sunday’s scheduled game was to be the first game this season with a limited number of players in the stands. The Titans, who are 3-0 so far, have played the first three games, including one home game, without an audience. The Titans recently played the Minnesota Vikings, who were also forced to cancel all in-person activities this week, out of an abundance of caution.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin previously said his team was prepared to play.
“We’ve been given a mandate to prepare as if the game is going to be played, and played on time,” he stated. “We’re going to trust the medical experts. We’re going to go down (there) with the intention of playing and playing to win.”