Speaking on ESPN Monday night on a "Return to Sports Special" with Mike Greenberg, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league will do everything it can to prevent players from testing positive for coronavirus during the season.
But, Goodell added, despite putting very stringent rules in place, the league expects there will be players who test positive for the virus during the course of the 2020 season.
"Positive tests are going to happen," Goodell said. "The issue is, can we obviously prevent as many of those from happening -- but in addition, treat them quickly, isolate them and prevent them from directly impacting our player personnel."
Monday, it was revealed players from both the Texans and Cowboys, including star running back Ezekiel Elliott, recently had tested positive for the virus. Texas has seen a spike in cases after reopening the state, though some feel that could be because asymptomatic people now are being tested.
NFL teams remain banned from having players at their facilities. Coaches were only permitted back in the buildings less than two weeks ago as the NFL closed all team facilities to combat the spread of the virus.
"So none of those players were in the facilities; all of those players, fortunately, have had either mild symptoms or are asymptomatic," Goodell said.
Meanwhile, the New York Post reported Monday the league plans to test its players at least three times weekly once they report to team facilities, which is currently scheduled for late July.
NFLPA medical director Thom Mayer told the paper there is a 90 percent chance there will be a reliable saliva test for the virus by the time teams report for training camps, which have been mandated to be held at team facilities.
Goodell also was asked about the status of former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been out of the league since 2016, when he caused a national controversy for kneeling during the national anthem in protest to the treatment of minorities by law enforcement.
Kaepernick's stance recently has been back in the headlines because of protests across the country following the killing of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis, at the hands of police.
"If he wants to resume his career in the NFL, then obviously it's gonna take a team to make that decision," Goodell said. "But I welcome that, support a club making that decision, and encourage them to do that.
"If his efforts are not on the field but continuing to work in this space, we welcome him to that table and to help us, guide us, help us make better decisions about the kinds of things that need to be done in the communities. We have invited him in before, and we want to make sure that everybody's welcome at that table, and trying to help us deal with some very complex, difficult issues, that have been around for a long time.
"But I hope we're at a point now where everybody's committed to making long-term, sustainable change."
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