The Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel has tested positive for COVID-19.
The positive test comes after the Titans spent last week taking part in joint practices with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before facing them in week 2 of the preseason.
Vrabel said he will get retested Monday and is currently in quarantine and following protocols.
“What it comes down to is you have to have two negative tests within a 48-hour period,” Vrabel said. “If that happens then, I can get back into the building. If not, I’ll have to wait 10 days.”
Tampa is currently awaiting contact tracing. Every coach, player, and staff member is required to wear a contact tracing chip that measures their proximity to others and for how long. The next steps for close contacts will differ depending on who is vaccinated and unvaccinated, per NFL protocols.
Vrable notified his players of his positive test via a text before a Zoom news conference. Vrabel said he was experiencing some symptoms, prompting him to get tested.
“I had a sore throat, a little bit of an earache, so I went and got tested at the facility. I remained in my car until the results were in that I tested positive for COVID,” Vrabel said. “I took the first test and tested positive, then took a second test and tested positive. I got a PCR test done, which will come back tomorrow and most likely be positive.”
Special teams coach Craig Aukerman will be one of the coaches that will be relied on to oversee the team while Vrabel is gone.
“I’m sure I’ll be involved in the Zoom meetings, but I’m comfortable with Craig Aukerman, who’s touched a lot of players in special teams meetings along with [linebackers coach Jim] Haslet [and defensive assistant Jim] Schwartz,” Vrabel said. “I’ll work through a lot of those things. Confident in team and coaching staff that no matter the situation, we’ll handle it and make good decisions.”
