Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie cornerback Johnthan Banks became the third member of the team diagnosed with a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday, according to two sources informed of the situation.
The Buccaneersannounced earlier Friday that a third member of the team had been diagnosed with MRSA. But the team said it was not at liberty to confirm or deny the player's identity.
Duke Infection Control Outreach Network (DICON) co-director Dr. Deverick J. Anderson addressed the team and staff Friday. MRSA is a type of staph infection that's become resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat ordinary staph infections.
On Friday, the league had no plans that would affect Sunday's scheduled game between the Buccaneers and the Philadelphia Eagles, NFL Media's Albert Breer reported. Rapoport reported Saturday the game is on as scheduled. He added, per a league source, that the belief is there's no additional risk to players and no determination that the infection currently exists at the Bucs' stadium facility.
"Our office, the NFLPA and appropriate medical specialists are working with the Buccaneers' medical staff to aggressively address the matter," the NFL said in a statement.
Any decision by the NFL Players Association on how to advise the Bucs to move forward will be based on the DICON report, a union source told Breer.
Before Banks' infection, Carl Nicks and Lawrence Tynes contracted MRSA over the summer. Tynes landed on the non-football injury list and has been squabbling with the Bucs over the designation. Nicks missed the Bucs' first two games but then was a starter before a recurrence of the infection happened in his left foot. Nicks went back on medication earlier this week.
Banks would be another big loss for the Bucs. The rookie corner has shown improvement throughout the early part of the season. It is not yet known how much time Banks might miss.
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