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The timeline for the workouts that has everyone up in arms is critical. Not that this completely excuses the actions, but it’s important to consider them before any of the extremely severe, franchise altering punishments that I’ve seen floated around are handed down [THREAD]:
Initial outbreak occurs on September 29th as 5 staff members and 3 players (Jones, Brinkley, and Hudson) test positive. Players are sent home and the facility is closed. https://twitter.com/tompelissero/status/1310946413879197697
The league’s memo states that they are “suspending in-person *club* activities”. Player organized workouts would not be considered “club activities” and there was no additional instruction explicitly stating that players could not gather outside the facility in small groups. https://twitter.com/jeffdarlington/status/1310951652866785281
Players have their workout at MBA on September 30th as reported by @PaulKuharskyNFL and @SteveLayman. The following day (October 1st), Mike Vrabel speaks with the media for the first time and states that he has asked players not to gather outside the facility. https://twitter.com/stevelayman/status/1311700585259970560
That same day (October 1st) the NFL releases a memo to all clubs specifically stating that players should not be meeting outside of club facilities (likely a response to getting wind of the Titans activities). https://twitter.com/adamschefter/status/1311780234090422274
If you can show me evidence of a Titans workout that occurred AFTER October 1st, then by all means, the NFL should hammer them. However, without a second workout that happened after the memo, I don’t see how the league can torch the Titans over this.
Was it dumb and naive for the players to get together and workout in a group in the midst of an active COVID outbreak? Of course. However, if you’re trying to find a reason to cancel their season or take away draft picks, you need something more than dumb and naive.
Lacking evidence of something beyond what we know right now, this is a story of a few players making a bad decision and the team nipping in the bud quickly.
