With the news that yet another player on the Tennessee Titans tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday morning, it seems highly unlikely that the Buffalo Bills will play the Titans on Sunday, especially since the Titans’ team facility is closed and the organization is prohibited from conducting in-person gatherings and team activities.
The Titans have now had back-to-back days with positive tests. Since Sept. 24, the total number of positive COVID-19 tests for the Titans is up to 23.
With the number of positive tests on the rise in Tennessee, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini, all options are on the table for this Week 5 clash of AFC unbeatens.
One possible option: postponing the game to Monday or Tuesday. In a tweet Thursday, Russini reported that players on both the Bills and Titans were informed of the potential to push the game back a few days.
I’m told by #Titans and #Bills players they were told there is an option of playing their Sunday game on Monday or Tuesday in Nashville. If that happens, Thursday night’s game between the Chiefs at Bills would be moved to Saturday. This all just being discussed.
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) October 8, 2020
The difficult part about this solution is the impact it would have for Buffalo beyond Week 5. Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are set to visit Bills Stadium on Oct. 15 for a Thursday Night Football showdown. If the Bills and Titans game is pushed back to Monday or Tuesday, Russini reports that the NFL is contemplating postponing the Bills/Chiefs clash to Saturday, Oct. 17.
The situation has escalated to the point that players and media are beginning to discuss more severe ramifications, including Tennessee forfeiting the game. The fact that the Titans broke the league’s COVID-19 protocol to practice last week changes the situation from an unfortunate circumstance to the results of an action taken in bad faith, and that could beget serious consequences.
Stay tuned for the latest on this ever-evolving situation.