The NFL Players Union (NFLPA) urged players preparing for the upcoming season on Saturday to avoid collective training after several cases of coronavirus in major sports in the United States, including American football, appear .
In the NFL, official training with franchises must not begin before July 28, with a view to kick-off the next season hoped for on September 10. But several players have already gathered for informal training, as confinement restrictions have been relaxed in the country.
"In light of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in some states, our medical consensus is that players should not train together in private sessions," said union medical director Thom Mayer in a statement.
Baseball closes training centers
The players' union made the recommendation after Major League Baseball (MLB) decided on Saturday to close its training centers in Arizona and Florida following a series of positive reports from players and members of the management within its franchises.
In the NFL, several Dallas Cowboys players, including star Ezekiel Elliott, and Houston Texans, have tested positive for coronavirus. A San Francisco 49ers player, also tested positive for Covid-19, was training with his teammates in Nashville, Tennessee, said NFL Network, the official website of the professional football league, on Friday.
Two contaminated Buccaneers players?
Among the most recent cases, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who recruited superstar quarterback Tom Brady, admitted that players or staff had tested positive, but declined to confirm reports that the positive results at least concerned two players.
The high number of cases of coronavirus in Florida, which recorded a new record of contamination on Saturday with 4,049 new people infected in 24 hours, also risks worrying the NBA and the MLS. They plan to resume their season in so-called “bubble” environments, with isolated teams, at the Disney World sports complex near Orlando, Florida.
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