BALTIMORE — The Ravens' game Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers has been postponed to Tuesday night, the NFL announced Friday.
The NFL's decision comes amid a coronavirus outbreak in which at least a dozen Ravens players, including quarterback Lamar Jackson, and several staff members have reportedly tested positive in the past week.
With the postponement, the Ravens' game Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys is also expected to change. If Tuesday's game is held, the Ravens would host Dallas on Dec. 7, a Monday, with the game kicking off at 5 p.m. and broadcast nationally on Fox and NFL Network. The drawn-out schedule could allow for the return of several Ravens who've tested positive for COVID-19 or been deemed a "high-risk" close contact.
Kickoff on Tuesday night is scheduled for 8 p.m., and the game will be broadcast nationally on NBC. It would be only the third game in the NFL's modern era to be held on a Tuesday; the Philadelphia Eagles had a 2010 game against the Minnesota Vikings rescheduled because of a blizzard, and the Tennessee Titans had to play the Buffalo Bills on a Tuesday last month after their own coronavirus outbreak.
The team's growing caseload has warped the NFL's schedule over the past three days. On Wednesday, the NFL moved the Ravens-Steelers game from its Thanksgiving Day slot to Sunday afternoon in hopes that the outbreak would be contained. League officials have considered postponing games only as a last resort; Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer, told the NFL Network on Wednesday that the NFL hoped to be past the "window of vulnerability" by this weekend.
But with the growing list of Ravens on the reserve/COVID-19 list, players were told Thursday night that the game was increasingly unlikely to be played Sunday, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The team hasn't practiced together since Monday, and players were told that the facility would remain closed through early next week.
With the Ravens (6-4) set to play Tuesday in Pittsburgh, the team will likely not have a chance to practice before a pivotal game against the AFC North-leading Steelers (10-0). The Ravens have lost two straight games and are one game out of the AFC playoff picture.
As of Friday, the Ravens will have 11 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, which indicates a player has tested positive or is considered a close contact.: quarterbacks Jackson and Trace McSorley, running backs Mark Ingram II and J.K. Dobbins, offensive linemen Matt Skura and Patrick Mekari, defensive ends Calais Campbell and Jihad Ward, defensive tackle Brandon Williams, outside linebacker Pernell McPhee and cornerback Iman Marshall. Several other players have reportedly tested positive.
Williams is the only player who's been identified as a close contact, meaning he could be available this weekend. Marshall, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in training camp, tested positive about a week before the latest cluster of infections.
Players who returned a positive test taken after Monday would likely have missed Thursday's game against the Cowboys. Under the NFL's coronavirus protocols, players who test positive and show no symptoms must self-quarantine for at least 10 days. Others could be out for longer. Campbell indicated Friday on Twitter that he is battling COVID-19 symptoms, which would complicate his return.
"I pray no one else has to go thru this," Campbell wrote. "This is bigger than football."
