All along, the NFL’s leadership said there would be some type of unforeseen failure when it came to the league’s defense against COVID-19 infections. Perhaps the coronavirus would slither its way into a facility undetected and wreak havoc. Or maybe there would be a viral outbreak in a social setting, either from lax behavior or a simple mistake. Whatever it was, the league’s executives and doctors were always clear. One way or another, some kind of pothole was coming, and how the NFL responded would be pivotal.
Well here we are, coming off a weekend that saw the league’s smooth preseason ride suddenly interrupted by a crater: 77 false positives spread over 11 different franchises — and an unexpected quandary about what to do when a major testing failure isn’t the fault of the league or any of its franchises.