Chicago Bears players express a mix of concern and optimism after 3 Tennessee Titans players test positive for COVID-19: ‘We would’ve been remiss to not think that something like this would come up’

Chicago Bears safety Tashaun Gipson had left a team meeting 10 minutes earlier Tuesday when he heard the news: Three Tennessee Titans players and five staff members tested positive for COVID-19 in what’s being called the league’s first coronavirus outbreak.

The Titans and Minnesota Vikings, who played each other Sunday, shut down their in-person facilities Tuesday.

Gipson had a similar reaction to some of his Bears teammates: Concern.

“People have lives and family outside of the game of football and you want to make sure that the people that you love and care about the most aren’t affected by it,” Gipson said in a call with reporters.

Receiver Allen Robinson echoed those feelings.

“It’s always kind of that little bit of concern, but at the end of the day, we had the chance to opt out” before the season, Robinson said. “Everybody was able to process if this happens how they may go about it.”

Cornerback Jaylon Johnson credited the Bears’ and league’s safety protocols in saying he feels safe: “As far as me and my protection, I feel like I’m protected well enough.”

Robinson added, “We would’ve been remiss to not think that something like this would come up. But now that it has come up, we’ll see what actions are taken and put in place after this.”

The league said in a statement the Titans and Vikings will work with the NFL Players Association and infectious disease experts to “evaluate close contacts, perform additional testing and monitor developments.”

The Vikings are scheduled to play the Texans in Houston on Sunday, while the Titans are set to host the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten said in a statement, published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “We have been informed to proceed with our game preparations for Sunday’s game until we are informed otherwise.”

Prior to Tuesday, the league reported that seven players had tested positive for COVID-19.

The issue hits close to home for the Bears, who happen to play both the Titans and Vikings in November. Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell tested positive Friday, two days before the Falcons hosted the Bears in Atlanta, and didn’t play Sunday.

“Once the game got rolling, I think that was the furthest thing from people’s minds,” Gipson said. “But leading up into the game it’s kind in the back of everybody’s mind -- ‘Hey, man, they got somebody (who) tested positive for COVID.’ Nobody wants to be a part of that.”

The NFL hasn’t operated in a bubble like the NBA’s, NHL’s and WNBA’s secure zones, but Johnson painted a similar picture of isolation for road games.

“Just grab your food and go to your room,” Johnson said. "Ain’t nothing else to do. I mean, you can’t go out. … It’s really just getting your food, going back, watching film, whatever, just staying more to yourself.

“We take temperatures and stuff like that the day of the game. Everything’s pretty safe.”

Still, the Bears, like other teams, will be keeping watch to see how the situation develops in the coming days and weeks, and whether other positive tests pop up.

“Just as a league in general I think that we’ve been doing a stellar job the first three weeks,” Gipson said, “so for this to happen now it’s a bit concerning.

"I’m pretty sure the NFL will act swiftly and control it -- and hopefully they can -- but, like I said, we can only control the things in Chicago. I know that wearing masks and taking the necessary steps and precautions, we’ve been doing them. Hopefully every team continues to do that, man, so we can continue to play the game that we love.

“These type of signs are never good, but I have the utmost confidence that the NFL will be able to handle it.”

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