To say the reports that the Tennessee Titans willfully and egregiously broke the NFL’s COVID protocol by holding an unauthorized practice at a local private school were incredibly infuriating is an understatement. It’s more than just frustration over rescheduling and additional bye weeks, or implementing a Week 18 to deal with inevitable outbreaks that this just further compounds. It was New Orleans Saints fullback Michael Burton’s postgame remarks after the Saints 35-29 win over the Detroit Lions that makes clear just how upsetting this issue really is.
Even prior to this recent news, the reactions and discussions surrounding the league’s recent COVID outbreaks have overtly focused on mitigating scheduling concerns, with no afterthought given to the affected players.