The Vikings suspended in-person team activities and closed their practice facility Tuesday after the Tennessee Titans had three new players and five new staff members test positive for coronavirus. The teams played on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, with the Titans winning 31-30.
The Vikings closed the TCO Performance Center in Eagan on Tuesday morning after learning from the NFL about Tennessee’s results. The facility will remain closed on Wednesday, costing Minnesota at least one day of practice heading into Sunday’s game at Houston. Then the situation will be re-evaluated.
The Vikings said in a statement that they have not had any positive results since Sunday’s game, and they closed the facility indefinitely with the intention of doing additional testing. The Titans also closed their facility, and it won’t reopen it until Saturday at the earliest.
The Titans on Tuesday placed nose tackle DaQuan Jones, long snapper Beau Brinkley and practice-squad tight end Tommy Hudson on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Jones played 45 defensive and six special-teams snaps and Brinkley played 10 on special teams against the Vikings.
Vikings players were not scheduled to practice Tuesday, however coaches were at the TCO Performance Center preparing for Sunday’s game. Coaches also will lose a day of being in the building on Wednesday in addition to not having players on the practice field.
“That would be a huge distraction,” Vikings radio analyst Pete Bercich, a former Minnesota player and assistant coach, said of what the team faces this week. “As a coach, I don’t even know how they could go about getting all their work done at home because it’s such a collaborative effort when you’re doing all the game planning.”
Bercich said it’s “a big deal” for players to lose practice time and be in limbo about when they might be able to return to practice.
Asked about the Vikings also not having their facility open Wednesday, Bercich said, “The only way to make it fair would be to shut down Houston on Wednesday, too.”
No announcement has been made on whether Sunday’s game could be moved. The teams have different bye weeks, with the Vikings off in Week 7 and the Texans off in Week 8.
“We will work closely with the NFL and (NFL Players Association) to monitor the situation, perform additional testing and determine when the facility can reopen,” the Vikings’ statement read. “We will provide further updates regarding this week’s football schedule when appropriate.”
Asked about any possibility of the Houston game being moved to Monday night, Bercich pointed to Minnesota (0-3) having a game scheduled for the following Sunday night at Seattle. Such a move would result in the Vikings having to fly back to Minnesota from Houston and then fly to the West Coast on a short week.
“It’s kind of like pick your poison,” Bercich said.
The Titans (3-0) are scheduled to play host to Pittsburgh on Sunday.
After the positive tests on the Titans came back Tuesday morning, the NFL put out a statement announcing that both teams had suspended in-person team activities.
“Both clubs are working closely with the NFL and the (NFL Players Association), including our infectious disease experts, to evaluate close contacts, perform additional testing and monitor developments,” the NFL’s statement read. “All decisions will be made with health and safety as our primary consideration. We will continue to share updates as more information becomes available.”
Tennessee’s issues began when outside linebackers coach and defensive play caller Shane Bowen tested positive last Saturday. He then did not travel with the team to Minnesota.
The Titans had no one else in the organization test positive before Sunday’s game. They trailed 30-28 before a 55-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski, his sixth of the game, gave them the lead for good at 31-30 with 1:44 remaining.
The loss dropped Minnesota to 0-3 for the first time since 2013. Bercich said it also is a concern for the Vikings when their record is coupled with this week’s distractions.
“To be 0-3 and then have this hurdle, you worry about the mental state of the entire team,” he said. “You would hope that the guys would have the mental wherewithal and fortitude, or whatever you want to call it, that no matter what happens, you get through it. But you’d have to wait until the game on Sunday to be like, ‘Yeah, these guys, their brains are completely somewhere else.’ “
