NFL: We made 'safest possible decision' after Bryant tested positive

The NFL is standing by the procedures that saw Baltimore Ravens receiver Dez Bryant scratched from Tuesday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Bryant tested positive for COVID-19 and was pulled from the field minutes before kickoff.

"The process is consistent with how we have addressed a player positive, including the contact-tracing process," Dawn Aponte, the NFL's chief football administrative officer, said on a conference call Wednesday, according to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk.

"I would say one of the complicating factors, obviously, was the timing for the club. It was past the 90-minute mark, pregame, which is the final time that the club is able to set their active roster for the game. That was different than what we had experienced in the past."

Bryant's test Tuesday morning reportedly came back inconclusive, yet he was still allowed to participate in pregame warmups. A point-of-care PCR test administered to the 32-year-old before the contest came back positive.

Despite the positive test, the game was allowed to proceed. The NFL determined there were no other close contacts to Bryant, though he was seen interacting with players and coaches on both sidelines before the game.

"We took all of the data that we had in hand and made the safest possible decision," said NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills.

"All interactions are not created equal when it comes to risk. To have a high-risk close contact, there's really a matrix of four different variables which include cumulative exposure time, the distance, the ventilation available, and the use of a mask.

"So you're always looking for the interplay and the various weighing of those interactions. Again, every interaction does not carry an equal risk."

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