The protocols for testing for COVID-19 once players report for training camp is one of the outstanding issues that the NFL and the NFL Players Association are still trying to iron out and the union provided some information Thursday about how many players have already tested positive.
According to the union’s website, 72 players tested positive for COVID-19 as of July 10. There’s no word on how many players have been tested overall, so it’s unclear what the positive rate is among players as they prepare to head into camp.
If all teams were maxed out at 90 players, that number would represent 2.5 percent of active players. Not every team has that many on their roster, so the percentage is a bit higher.
The NFLPA has also posted maps showing data about the number of cases in areas that are home to NFL teams. That information will be familiar to anyone who has been following the spread of the coronavirus as it shows Florida, Arizona, Tennessee and California, among other states, have seen sustained spikes in positive tests in recent weeks.