Broncos GM John Elway, CEO Joe Ellis test positive for coronavirus
Broncos general manager John Elway and CEO Joe Ellis have tested positive for coronavirus and are staying away from team facilities as they hope to recover.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the two "are confident the transmissions originated from outside the building," which would hopefully mean none of the players or staff have contracted COVID-19 as well.
This is just the latest in the NFL's cat-and-mouse relationship with the coronavirus. The league chose to forgo a bubble strategy in favor of consistent testing and protocol, but so far that plan has led to mixed results at best. Nearly every week, a new team reveals a player or staff member has tested positive, forcing the league to attempt to keep things afloat with as few scheduling changes as possible.
Last week, the Chargers were one of those unlucky teams to have a positive test but were still able to play their game against the Broncos, who now have positive tests of their own. The idea that these transmissions didn't come from the team building, along with the Chargers having no additional positive tests, suggests the Broncos did not catch the virus from the game, but it still highlights how easily this sort of thing could happen.
At this point, it's hard to imagine that the NFL will not continue to have positive tests around the league if it stays the current course. While the league has not had to cancel any games so far, it's clear that the strategy of consistent testing and safety protocols is not limiting the spread. Because even though the Titans are the only team to experience a real outbreak, it may only be a matter of time before one or more teams have a similar experience.
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