After the Titans’ outbreak began, it took the league several days to show up to investigate whether the team followed all applicable COVID-19 protocols. With only one positive in New England, the league moved much more quickly.
Per a league source, the NFL promptly launched an investigation into whether the Patriots complied with all relevant protocols, after news of quarterback Cam Newton‘s positive test emerged.
There hadn’t even been (and still hasn’t been) a second positive in New England. Which makes it a bit strange, to say the least, that the NFL moved so quickly.
It’s unclear whether the NFL also has launched an investigation in Kansas City regarding its single positive test, generated by practice-squad quarterback Jordan Ta’amu.
The situation suggests that the league doesn’t plan to screw around when it comes to looking for ways to place blame on teams that have outbreaks. Although it makes more sense to investigate all teams with or without outbreaks, the league seems to be focused on a more reactive approach, looking for violations only after positive tests happen — even if the violations didn’t necessarily caught the positive tests.