The Baltimore Ravens had four more players test positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, including quarterback Lamar Jackson. With the continued Ravens’ COVID-19 outbreak, Baltimore has shut down their Owings Mills training facility until Monday at the earliest, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The move to close the Under Armour Performance Center seems like a no-brainer. Baltimore has not practiced this week, holding only a walkthrough on Monday when it was figured the team had the initial outbreak under control. Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, echoed a similar sentiment, saying he believed “we’re very close to the end” of transmission on Wednesday. However, with players and/or staff members continuing to test positive for COVID-19 every day this week, that’s clearly not the case. Closing the facility will ensure players and staff members aren’t getting together in person, hopefully ending the continued spread of the coronavirus.
The NFL has postponed Baltimore’s Week 12 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers from Thanksgiving night to Sunday afternoon. If the Ravens’ training facility remains closed through Monday, that would mean Baltimore would not have practiced for this game, in addition to being short-handed due to the outbreak and injuries. That would also push into any preparation time for Week 13’s game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.
