The player-organized practices at the Brentwood Academy, just outside Nashville, Tennessee, may have come to an abrupt end. This has been a crazy last couple of days of news for the San Francisco 49ers with two wide receivers, Deebo Samuel and Richie James Jr., suffering injuries that will sideline both for an extended period of time.
It doesn't end there, though. One of the 49ers players taking part in the workouts has tested positive for COVID-19, according to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The other players in Tennessee are awaiting their testing results, and won't be allowed to travel until those results are known.
One of the #49ers players who was working out in Nashville tested positive for Covid, sources tell me and @RapSheet. The rest of the group is getting tested and trying to figure out how and when they can travel. Some guys live there so they'll just hunker down.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) June 19, 2020
That means the sessions are done, and the 16 players who were taking part may need to isolate themselves for at least two weeks. That is easier for some more than others. Players like quarterback C.J. Beathard and tight end George Kittle live in the area.
"Federal and state privacy laws prohibit our organization from commenting on the personal health of our employees," said the 49ers in a statement issued to the media.
While other players across the league have tested positive for the virus, this is the first instance of a 49ers player testing positive.
Players were not wearing protective face masks in the videos that have surfaced from the sessions. NFL players are expected to begin training camps next month, so it will be interesting to learn what precautions teams plan to put into place to prevent the further spread of the virus among their rosters.
49ers players huddled at the Brentwood Academy (Photo by @brandonaquino on IG)
Below is a list of the 49ers players who participated in the throwing sessions in the Nashville area.
- QB C.J. Beathard
- QB Jimmy Garoppolo
- QB Nick Mullens
- QB Broc Rutter
- WR Brandon Aiyuk
- WR Kendrick Bourne
- WR Chris Finke
- WR Jalen Hurd
- WR Jauan Jennings
- WR Dante Pettis
- WR Shawn Poindexter
- WR Deebo Samuel
- WR Trent Taylor
- TE George Kittle
- TE Charlie Woerner
- FB Kyle Juszczyk
"We are developing a comprehensive and rapid-result testing program," the NFL's chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said this week via a statement, "and rigorous protocols that call for a shared responsibility from everyone inside our football ecosystem. This is based on the collective guidance of public health officials, including the White House task force, the CDC, infectious disease experts, and other sports leagues.
"Make no mistake, this is no easy task. We will make adjustments as necessary to meet the public health environment as we prepare to play the 2020 season as scheduled with increased protocols and safety measures for all players, personnel and attendees."