The Titans got terrible news this morning when reports surfaced that another player tested positive for COVID-19 in addition to a re-test that confirmed the second positive from yesterday’s reports. Now we know that those two players are tight end MyCole Pruitt and practice squad defensive back Breon Borders, per the Titans social accounts and website.
Pruitt is an unsung hero in the Titans offense. He’s an excellent run blocker, and an underrated pass catcher. Pruitt caught the first Titans touchdown pass of the season during the Week 1 victory over the Denver Broncos. He is the first tight end on the active roster to test positive.
How are players still testing positive after being sent home from the facility and asked to quarantine well over a week ago? Our own John Glennon has the answer here from the CDC:
Of course, there is now a potential alternative explanation for the continued positive tests… player-organized workouts that took place away from the team facility last week after the league shut the Titans down, as reported by Paul Kuharsky and Steve Layman.
As the NFL continues to investigate whether or not the Titans broke protocol which lead to the outbreak, the workout will likely continue to be a hot topic. Our own Justin Graver wrote about that here:
Who is on the reserve/COVID list?
The Titans currently have 14 total players on the reserve/COVID list:
- LS Beau Brinkley
- OLB Kamalei Correa
- CB Kristian Fulton
- TE MyCole Pruitt
- FB Khari Blasingame
- WR Adam Humphries
- WR Corey Davis
- DL DaQuan Jones
- DL Jeffery Simmons
- OL Isaiah Wilson
- WR Cameron Batson*
- TE Tommy Hudson*
- CB Greg Mabin*
- DB Broen Borders*
*practice squad
The Titans also have had 10 team personnel members test positive. Based on reports, we know that there are coaches included in that number beyond the one name we know out of this group: outside linebackers coach and defensive playcaller Shane Bowen.
We should note that Isaiah Wilson has officially been on the COVID list for a month now and is not included in this outbreak. It was sounding like he was nearing a return prior to the facility getting shut down last week.
Our own Mike Herndon wrote on why it would be hypocritical for the NFL to hammer the Titans over COVID protocol violations. You can read that here.
