Toro
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- Mar 19, 2019
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The NFL continues to justifiably have concerns about COVID-19. Those concerns become even more pronounced for teams that aren’t playing for anything.
Earlier this week, one of the teams that isn’t playing for anything down the stretch had an apparently violation of the current COVID-19 protocols. Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson opened a restaurant in Houston, and some of his teammates attended.
On Wednesday, Watson was asked whether the event, attended by teammates, complied with the NFL’s protocols.
“With the event, yes,” Watson said. “For sure. We had the masks. We did everything that we were supposed to do. Six feet from different people. It was a restaurant opening. It wasn’t really an event. It was a grand opening of my restaurant, so people were coming in to get food and things like that and everyone was excited about it, so it turned out pretty good.”
It may not turn out pretty good for the players who attended. The league has issued and reiterated a general prohibition on any and all gatherings of players and/or staff outside of the club facility, in any number. Texans executive V.P. of football operations and interim G.M. Jack Easterby apparently hasn’t communicated that message to the team’s players.
“We are aware of the event and will decline further comment,” an NFL spokesman told PFT via email.
The league undoubtedly will investigate the situation, and it will potentially issue discipline — just like it did with Raiders players who attended a mask-free event away from the facility earlier this year. That happened before the NFL issued a blanket prohibition on gatherings away from team headquarters.