Titans Coach Mike Vrabel Tests Positive For COVID After Joint Practices And Game Against Tom Brady's Bucs
NASHVILLE (CBS) – Tennessee Titans head coach and former Patriot Mike Vrabel announced Sunday that he tested positive for COVID-19. The news comes after Vrabel's team just returned home following several days of practices and a preseason game against Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Bucs and Titans held joint practices for two days, then played Saturday night. Vrabel was on the sidelines for the game.
"As of now, I don't think that anybody that has been tested this has tested positive," Vrabel said when asked about the status of his team.
Vrabel said he will remain away from the Titans facility until he is able to produce two negative tests within a 48-hour period. If not, he will be required to stay away for 10 days.
As pointed out by Jenna Laine of ESPN, Brady and Vrabel spent a considerable amount of time chatting on the field during the joint practice sessions.
Mike Vrabel spent quite a bit of time chatting with Bucs quarterback Tom Brady and his son Jack during joint practices this week. This is from @GeorgeWalkerIV of @Tennessean. Vrabel just announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and will be quarantining. pic.twitter.com/8CdKVJ4QKV
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) August 22, 2021
Vrabel told reporters in July he was "very comfortable" with the Titans' vaccination rate.
It is not clear if anyone from the Bucs has tested positive.
Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians said at the beginning of August that the Bucs would be 92% vaccinated by August 13 and that he expected the team to be at least 98% vaccinated by the time the season starts in September.