Report: NFL investigating if Titans violated COVID-19 protocols

The NFL and NFL Players Association are investigating whether the Tennessee Titans violated the league's COVID-19 protocols this week, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The news comes after one more player and one staff member tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday, bringing the club's total to 18.

"This isn't a failure of the protocols; it is a failure to follow the protocols," the source told Schefter.

Tennessee's breakout has spread steadily since the team returned from Minnesota, where it faced the Vikings in Week 3.

The league and players' association asked the Titans to turn over multiple videotapes of team activities to determine the root of the outbreak, according to Schefter. However, the organization is convinced it obeyed every rule and protocol.

The investigation will reportedly focus on Tennessee's outside linebackers coach Shane Bowen - the first on the team to test positive - and a potential failure by others to report symptoms and wear masks.

With the Titans having positive tests on six straight days, the soonest their training facility can open is Wednesday, Schefter adds. The franchise requires consecutive days of only negative tests before reopening.

The NFL postponed a Week 4 matchup between Tennessee and the Pittsburgh Steelers due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, and additional cases could jeopardize the Titans' Week 5 game against Buffalo Bills.

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