Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the club announced Thursday.
As a vaccinated player, Tannehill will need two consecutive negative PCR tests over a 24-hour period in order to rejoin the team, if asymptomatic. Per NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe, general manager Jon Robinson said Tannehill is feeling OK. That means he theoretically could be back and available for the club's preseason finale against the Chicago Bears on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, NFL Network), but head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters that Matt Barkley will get the start. Tannehill did not play in the Titans' first two preseason games against the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Robinson said the Titans have reached a 97 percent vaccination rate among players. Unvaccinated players who test positive must isolate at least 10 days, and for five days if exposed to high-risk close contacts.
The club has conducted widespread testing in recent days, including Vrabel, and worked virtually on Wednesday, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Vrabel revealed that he tested positive for the virus on Sunday and has yet to test negative.
NFL CMO Dr. Allen Sills told reporters Thursday that the league has implemented "enhanced mitigation protocol" that targets teams with COVID-19 clusters.
Tannehill is the seventh Titans player to be placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list this week, joining Justin March-Lillard, Geoff Swaim, Jeremy McNichols, Anthony Rush, Harold Landry and Nick Dzubnar.
Last fall, the Titans' season was disrupted by an outbreak, requiring the team to close its facility, and the organization was fined $350,000 for violations of NFL COVID-19 protocols.
"We've had one recent cluster on a team," Sills said. "Without getting into medical specifics, I would tell you that on that team, a total of 38 percent of the unvaccinated players have become positive in that cluster and exposure."
Tannehill is the seventh Titans player to be placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list this week, joining Justin March-Lillard, Geoff Swaim, Jeremy McNichols, Anthony Rush, Harold Landry and Nick Dzubnar.
Last fall, the Titans' season was disrupted by an outbreak, requiring the team to close its facility, and the organization was fined $350,000 for violations of NFL COVID-19 protocols.
