NFL postpones Pittsburgh Steelers-Tennessee Titans game after positive COVID-19 tests

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The NFL has postponed the Tennessee Titans' home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in the wake of a rash of positive COVID-19 tests.

The league announced Wednesday it was moving the game back "to allow additional time for further daily COVID-19 testing and to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel." The game will be played on either Monday or Tuesday.

The postponement marks the first NFL regular-season schedule change stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.

On Tuesday, three Titans players — defensive lineman DaQuan Jones, long snapper Beau Brinkley and practice-squad tight end Tommy Hudson — and five team personnel returned positive tests for COVID-19 in the aftermath of Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. The Titans subsequently suspended all in-person club activities.

On Wednesday, an additional Titans player tested positive for COVID-19, a league spokesman confirmed to the USA TODAY Network. Outside linebacker Kamalei Correa was later placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

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Titans coach Mike Vrabel said on Wednesday that some of the players who had tested positive were experiencing flu-like symptoms.

No Vikings players or team personnel have tested positive since the contest against the Titans. The Vikings' game against the Houston Texans remains scheduled for Sunday. The team plans to return to its facility on Thursday, head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman said.

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A person with knowledge of the decision, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, confirmed to the USA TODAY Network that the Titans' team facilities have been shut down until Saturday. In the interim, the Titans are forced to conduct all game preparations through virtual means.

It's the first time since 2017 that an NFL game has had to be postponed. In September of that year, Hurricane Irma pushed back a game between the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers until November.

Vrabel on Monday revealed that outside linebackers coach Shane Bowen did not travel with the team to Minnesota after a positive test result on Saturday. Tennessee won Sunday's game at U.S. Bank Stadium, 31-30, moving the team to 3-0 on the year.