The COVID-19 elephant is in the NFL locker room.

No one actually thought that even the most prepared and sheltered professional teams were going to escape this.

Baseball almost shut down before it really reopened, but has managed to recover and is now into its abbreviated post-season. Hockey and basketball both resumed play in their respective bubbles and for the most part got away with it.

But now comes the first outbreak in the NFL, with the Tennessee Titans reporting three players and five personnel members having tested positive. That has forced the Titans and last Sunday’s opponent, the Vikings, to push the pause button, pending more tests and tracing.

The NFL has the back-ups on taxi squads and money to stay on the field, although some games may wind up postponed for a day or two. But do we think this is the end of the coronavirus for pro football or the beginning? The game has inherent risks that are unavoidable.

Look at college programs, most of which have fewer resources than the NFL. And look at where football is king, in the south, and there have been outbreaks on campuses that led to rescheduling.

Most coaches figured their seasons would be somehow altered, and with the virus spiking in 40 states, which includes Notre Dame having 18 infections, the Big Ten and Pac 12 have decided to start playing in height of flu season; keeping two viruses apart may be hard.

Even NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has said he expected some outbreaks but that the league plans to continue playing. Those infected will likely have to stay isolated through at least one game, but the big question remains how and where did those infections occur?

Now the alarm has been sounded. It may not turn into a league of replacement players, but the NFL must be prepared. Almost assuredly, this will not be the first and last of it. The games have actually been entertaining with tight TV shots staying away from the empty stands and the volume of piped-in noise going up and down appropriately when the home team gets cheered, faux as it may be.

Featured image via AP Photo/David J. Phillip

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