49ers receive positive COVID-19 test before Thursday's Packers game
The San Francisco 49ers returned a positive COVID-19 test on Wednesday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports reported. The facility will reportedly be closed immediately.
The positive test comes a day before their scheduled home game against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night. The 49ers confirmed in a statement that the test was of a player and that the organization is following the NFL’s protocol.
UPDATE: The positive #49ers COVID test is a player. (not staff/coach) https://t.co/V17LWzayDI
— Jennifer Lee Chan (@jenniferleechan) November 4, 2020
The facility closure is out of precaution and the team will immediately do contact tracing for the positive test.
Update (2 p.m. ET): The rest of the 49ers test results came back negative, per NBC Sports. That’s a good indicator that the virus has not spread through the team and that Thursday night’s game would be played.
All other #49ers COVID test results have come back negative per team source. #GBvsSF will likely proceed as scheduled.
— Jennifer Lee Chan (@jenniferleechan) November 4, 2020
Will 49ers-Packers Thursday night game be played?
The game is slated to be at Levi’s Stadium to kick off Week 9 and as of Wednesday morning will be played, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Media.
The #Packers-#49ers game remains on as scheduled Thursday night, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 4, 2020
Most of the rescheduled games in the NFL this season have been directly related to the Tennessee Titans early COVID-19 outbreak before Week 4. It created a hole on Thursday night in Week 5, which could still happen again this week if there are more positive COVID-19 tests.
If needed, the game could be pushed back to Sunday or Monday to make sure there isn’t spread in the 49ers organization. The 49ers have an opening in Week 11, but the Packers already took their week off.
A number of positive tests in the New England Patriots organization also forced a handful of reschedules and cancellations.
Packers place RBs on reserve/COVID-19 list
The Packers are already facing the likelihood they’ll be without running backs Jamaal Williams and A.J. Dillon, both of whom were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday. The list is for players who have either tested positive or have had close contact with someone who has tested positive.
The 49ers have been decimated by injuries in a rough first half of the season. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo joined that list this week with an ankle injury. Garoppolo and tight end George Kittle will head to the IR, joining a long list of teammates that includes Nick Bosa, Dee Ford and Richard Sherman.
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