Tennessee Titans tight end Jonnu Smith was a guest on the “Tiki and Tierney” show on CBS Sports radio on Tuesday and spoke about the recent flurry of positive COVID-19 tests the team has seen ahead of the Week 4 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
When asked about the positive tests, Smith assured the hosts that the team is doing everything necessary to make sure players and personnel are safe (h/t Eric Bacharach of the Tennessean.)
“They’re taking every precaution to make sure everybody in the organization is safe,” Smith explained. “We’re just playing it by ear and seeing what’s the next step.”
One issue the Titans will have if the game is played on Sunday and not moved back is a lack of practice beforehand, as the team cannot enter its facility again until Saturday at the earliest.
Smith says that no matter what, the team will be ready to play on Sunday.
“I don’t know what the league is going to do or what they’re going to decide, but if we are playing, we’re going to be prepared, stay in shape, and most importantly, stay quarantined.”
Smith also pointed to the virtual offseason as another reason why it won’t be as difficult to adjust to the lack of in-person preparation.
“That’s one thing about being a pro. We’ve been doing it all offseason with these Zoom meetings, so we’re kind of used to the flow of things. It might be a little unorthodox, but we might be playing on Sunday so we just have to prepare like we are.”
According to reports, the NFL intends to still play the game on Sunday, however the league does have contingency plans that could see the game moved to either Monday or Tuesday.
Whatever the case may be, the Titans aren’t going to make any excuses and will do their best to be ready for the Steelers.
