The Ravens have another COVID-19 situation on their hands. They pulled Dez Bryant off the field during warmups, and the veteran announced (via Twitter) he was informed he tested positive for the coronavirus.
We are less than a half-hour from the start of what would have been a reunion game for Bryant, but he is now out of tonight’s Ravens-Cowboys matchup. Known for announcing news of his career on his Twitter account, the 32-year-old receiver subsequently said he no longer intends to play this season (Twitter link). That would be an interesting development, considering how long the former Cowboys Pro Bowler spent trying to return to the NFL, but this season has obviously featured numerous unusual announcements.
As of 6:50pm CT, Week 13’s Baltimore-Dallas game remains a go. But considering what the Ravens just went through with the virus, this could be a sticky situation. Contact tracing could lead the Ravens to pulling other players out of tonight’s game. This news transpiring so close to kickoff represents a new hurdle for the NFL in this historically unusual season.
After the season began, the NFL moved to game-day testing. Interestingly, no other Ravens tested positive and no Bryant high-risk close contacts have been identified, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The NFL’s latest Tuesday game will still take place. This confusing situation went down because a Tuesday-morning Bryant PCR test twice came back inconclusive and a subsequent point-of-care test came back positive, according to Pelissero (on Twitter).
The Ravens signed Bryant to their practice squad earlier this season and have used him sparingly in multiple games. Bryant caught four passes for 28 yards in Week 11 against the Titans and played in last week’s Steelers game — one that featured a decimated Ravens squad after their COVID outbreak. The Ravens still have several players on their reserve/COVID list, including pass catchers Mark Andrews and Willie Snead.
Incoming cancel the season trolls
He’s on the Ravens??!?!?
Couldn’t he just play 3 1/2 quarters then be pulled out of the game, only to be allowed back post game like Justin Turner!
LoL Dez has some amazing bad timing
Not funny you jerk off
triggered much huh?
So let me get this straight….
Dez Bryant was on the field for warm ups and was pulled due to a positive COVID test. No one else is at risk for close contact or any other COVID rules violation?
I am not even a Broncos fan and I am questioning this…..
Well, fortunately, the Ravens haven’t had any other covid problems.
No… wait…
Welcome to the NFL, where ratings and cash take precedent over health and safety
Explain it to us, DR. wagnor13; because if you can explain the rampant contradictions that occur daily around the world, never mind in the NFL , then YOU are either the second coming of Einstein, or full of you-know-what.
@roswell6vika
What?
“because if you can explain the rampant contradictions that occur daily around the world”
You think it requires a genius level IQ to understand why different countries, states, cities, people, etc. have different responses to a mostly unprecedented situation that virtually no one was prepared for and about which everyone had to learn from scratch?
How would anyone else but that have occurred?
Bravo, joshbull, using good old common sense to try to discredit me and make me look ridiculous! You must be Mark Twain’s descendant! Problem is u didn’t present any facts, just obfuscation. Unprecedented ? 1) Spanish Flu (1918) 2) Asian flu (1957) 3) Hong Kong flu (1968) 4) Swine flu (2009); HIV/AIDS; should I go on ? After you refute the validity of all 5 examples, we can talk.
OK, AIDS isn’t airborne, the other 3 weren’t nearly as widespread and everyone with useful advice from the one comparable situation (1918) is dead.
Since you clearly know better…please lay out your plan for how every country on Earth and every state, county and city in America should have coordinated the response to an unexpected pandemic to better avoid inconveniencing or confusing you.
AIDS is not airborne…yet.
Yes, the league where coaches must wear masks – which I agree with, for the record – while dozens and dozens of players come into closer contact than anyone ever would at a restaurant. But shut down restaurants, let players play, and… let billionaires not lose revenue, I guess.
At least he finally caught something
lol that one got me..nice
Hope he reconsiders and plays the rest of the season.
kinda odd to opt out AFTER catching it. not saying he’s made the wrong choice – its his his to make – but just seems kimda odd.
Why not! At this point, with running these tests at cycles (CT) of more than 30, everyone is positive.
So tired of 2020 and the medical fraud going on.
So tired of 2020 and the lack of scientific understanding
@wagner Amen to that. We in the scientific community take this seriously while these crazy Trump supporters refute all logic.
“We”? Yes , it’s always about politics for you wing nuts, isn’t it? Except you haven’t produced 1 “scientific “ fact yet. The only thing you’re done so far is use the words “science “ & “scientific “. That’s not a very “scientific “explanation.
NFL is a joke
…where the punchline usually results in criminal charges.