It’s now known that the Buccaneers have two players who are dealing with staph infections, of the potent and scary MRSA variety. The Bucs have acknowledged the problem, without acknowledging the problem specifically.
“Our primary concern is always the health and safety of our players and staff,” G.M. Mark Dominik said in a statement issued by the club. “Our players were informed of the situation and we sought the advice of experts, including the NFL’s medical advisor, who provided counsel and approved of our comprehensive measures including the treatment of our practice facility.”
That’s the full extent of the release, which says nothing about the precise nature of “the situation.” It could be MRSA, it could be polio, it could be rabies, it could be lupus.
It’s never lupus, and the NFL wishes it were never MRSA. An outbreak can make it harder to attract free agents, and it can set the organization up for various forms of costly litigation -- as the Browns learned several years ago.