The NFL continues to deal with positive COVID-19 results throughout the league as it was revealed New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore tested positive and the Tennessee Titans continue to have more cases. But how should the NFL itself handle the situation?
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00:00 The NFL continues to deal with the coronavirus
00:03 as Stefan Gilmore of the Patriots has tested positive.
00:06 The Titans are still dealing with positive tests
00:09 as are the Las Vegas Raiders.
00:11 For more, I'm joined by the MMQB's Connor Orr.
00:14 Connor, you know, this is obviously a difficult situation
00:17 for all involved,
00:18 but how do you think the NFL should handle this?
00:20 I think that the NFL should give the players
00:22 a second opt-out window.
00:24 Initially, when this happened back in July,
00:26 the promise was, we're gonna put your safety first,
00:29 we're gonna take care of everybody.
00:30 But Stefan Gilmore tested positive
00:33 after a Cam Newton positive test on a Friday,
00:36 then they fly everybody to Kansas City on a Monday
00:38 and play a game well within the incubation window.
00:41 That's not taking care of your players,
00:43 that's not taking care of your personnel,
00:44 that's not taking care of your coaches.
00:46 So I think if you abdicate that responsibility,
00:49 you also have to offer the players a second chance
00:51 to get out of this.
00:52 Yeah, basically, you know, giving the players that choice
00:56 because that's gonna be the chief criticism
00:58 that the NFL ultimately gets, right?
01:00 That they still play that game on Monday night?
01:03 No doubt, and look at the optics of it right now.
01:05 Stefan Gilmore was talking to Patrick Mahomes
01:08 in a post-game handshake,
01:10 about six inches apart from each other.
01:11 Patrick Mahomes just announced, obviously,
01:13 that his fiance was pregnant.
01:15 This affects more than just the guys on the field.
01:17 These are families at home,
01:18 these are workers transporting these players to games.
01:21 And so the optics are really bad right now.
01:23 So I think the NFL needs to give the players
01:25 another chance to get out of this.
01:27 Obviously, that we all continue to deal with it,
01:29 and that goes for the NFL as well.
01:31 Conor, appreciate your time, as always.
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