The NFL was facing up to another coronavirus crisis on Wednesday, after it emerged two more Tennessee Titans players and New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore had tested positive for COVID-19.
Tennessee's Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers had to be postponed because of a coronavirus outbreak within the AFC South franchise, with more than a dozen cases among players and coaches.
There had been two straight days without a positive test, raising hopes the Titans could return to their facility, but NFL Network and ESPN both reported two fresh cases involving Tennessee players on Wednesday, throwing their Week 5 game against the Buffalo Bills in Nashville on Sunday into doubt.
Pats cornerback Gilmore is also reported to have contracted the virus, becoming the second high-profile player in New England to test positive after quarterback Cam Newton last week.
WEAR YOUR MASK • KEEP YOUR DISTANCE pic.twitter.com/0IBolQt3rx
— Cameron 1 Newton (@CameronNewton) October 7, 2020
The Patriots' Week 4 trip to Kansas City had to be pushed back a day as a result of isolated positive cases for both teams and was only allowed to proceed because everyone else had received the all-clear.
However, given the virus' incubation period, there will now be a fear over a spread as last season's Defensive Player of the Year Gilmore played on Monday when the Chiefs won 26-10.
ESPN reported no Chiefs players had returned a positive result during their latest round of testing.
However, it also claimed a Las Vegas Raider player had shown to have contracted the virus.
It comes after the NFL issued a memo to teams regarding stricter COVID-19 protocols as it aims to prevent outbreaks similar to the one seen in Tennessee.