72 NFL players have tested positive for COVID-19

At least 72 NFL players have tested positive for COVID-19 as of July 10, according to the NFL Players Association.

The players association, a union that represents the players of the NFL, confirmed the positive tests on its website. Although not every player in the league has been tested, the number of players who have tested positive represents approximately 2.5 percent of all NFL players, according to ESPN.

The association did not confirm which players have tested positive, but it provided concentrations of COVID-19 cases in NFL markets across the country. Currently, the Miami Dolphins’s market has the highest concentration of cases, followed by the Arizona Cardinals and the Jacksonville Jaguars.   

The NFL is planning to move forward with beginning its season on Sept. 10. Several teams are planning to have reduced capacity for fans, or no fans, at stadiums across the country, Reuters reported.

The association and the NFL are participating in ongoing negotiations over coronavirus precautions, as most teams are set to report to training camps in less than two weeks. The union and the league have not resolved COVID-19 testing procedures, the number of preseason games for players and a slate of other professional and health and safety issues for players, USA Today reported.

Rams center Brian Allen and Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot are among the players who have publicly announced that they have tested positive for the virus. 

Houston Texans star J.J. Watt on Thursday tweeted a list of “what we know and don’t know” based on calls with the players association. The list included questions over whether there will be preseason games for the league at all, whether there will be daily or semi-daily testing for players, how a positive COVID-19 test would affect a player’s contract and more. 

Rookies for the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs, the teams that are set to play in the league’s regular season opener Sept. 10, are scheduled to report to work over the coming weekend. 

In the interest of having everyone on the same page in terms of what we know and don’t know at this time, here are a few things I’ve learned being on four NFLPA calls in the last two weeks with hundreds of other players.

Keep in mind our rookies are scheduled to report in 48 hrs pic.twitter.com/wAH1XyQenf

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 16, 2020