Exclusive Details
5:39 PM PT — The NFLPA has updated its website with a different — and significantly lower — number of positive cases … 59.
The org. says the original number reflected the total number of cases (including team staffers) … and the new number is the amount of players who have tested positive for COVID-19.
95 NFL players have tested positive for coronavirus since the league began administering tests over the past 4 months … but that number is expected to grow by the hundreds with increased testing, NFL sources tell TMZ Sports.
The NFL Players Association revealed the 95 positive tests on its website Tuesday — and an NFLPA official tells us it’s a cumulative number from when the league began testing players and staff 4 months ago.
We’re told the number does not reflect the number of players who CURRENTLY have COVID.
Several players have tested positive since the pandemic began — including Von Miller, Ezekiel Elliott and more. Those players are presumably negative by now.
But, the league has ramped up testing recently and our sources say the league is bracing for big numbers since the testing pool will likely consist of more than 2,000 people.
As one source puts it… “With players and staff starting to report and get tested, there’s the expectation that the number of positive tests will be in the hundreds.”
The NFLPA also noted all 32 teams have submitted their Infectious Disease Emergency Response plans — and 8 have already been approved by the NFLPA.
24 plans are still under review.
Teams must have their IDER plans approved before they are allowed to let more than 20 players into a team facility.
Originally published — 2:12 PM PT