Titans up to 8 players positive for COVID-19 this week, source says
A total of eight Tennessee Titans players have tested positive for COVID-19 this week after another player and two staff members tested positive Saturday, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
In all, 16 members of the Titans organization -- the eight players plus eight team personnel -- have tested positive since the team last played on Sunday.
On Friday, the Titans announced that wide receiver Adam Humphries and practice squad receiver Cameron Batson had been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Also going on the reserve/COVID-19 list this week were starting nose tackle DaQuan Jones, linebacker Kamalei Correa, cornerback Kristian Fulton, long-snapper Beau Brinkley and practice squad tight end Tommy Hudson.
The Titans added defensive end Jeffery Simmons to the list Saturday.
Simmons has been the Titans' most effective defensive player this season. The second-year defensive lineman has one sack and five QB hits to go along with 12 tackles, including one for a loss in three games. He tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage that resulted in an interception by outside linebacker Harold Landry to seal Tennessee's 33-30 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2. Simmons leads all defensive linemen with 175 snaps (161 defensive snaps and 14 on special teams).
Coach Mike Vrabel said Wednesday that some of the players who tested positive were experiencing flu-like symptoms.
Officials from the NFL and the NFL Players Association were in Nashville on Friday to check into the spread of the coronavirus on the team, sources told ESPN, confirming a report by NFL Network.
Other Titans players on the reserve/COVID-19 list are defensive back Greg Mabin, who was placed on the list Sept. 24, and offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson (Sept. 6). Before the Titans' 31-30 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3, outside linebackers coach Shane Bowen tested positive on Sept. 26.
On Thursday, the NFL announced that the Titans' game with the Pittsburgh Steelers would not be played during Week 4 because of the positive coronavirus tests on the Tennessee team. The Titans are now scheduled to play the Steelers in Week 7 on Oct. 25, the league said Friday. The Steelers were scheduled to play a road game against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7 but will now play that game in Week 8.
The Minnesota Vikings again had no positive test results Saturday, a source told Schefter. They went back to work inside their facility Thursday and remain scheduled to visit Houston on Sunday, as scheduled, after losing to the Titans last week.
ESPN's Turron Davenport and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
