Could Atlanta Falcons Forfeit Their Game Against The Bears?

The NFL received it's first big revelation on Saturday in their ceaseless fight against COVID-19. Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell tested positive for the virus and was placed on the reserve/COVID list. As concerning as that is for the rookie himself, it creates a far dicier situation for the team since Terrell participated in practice on Friday despite being infected. This has led the team to do an extensive contact tracing hunt to see if any players or coaches were in close proximity to Terrell. This would require them to go on the list as well. A necessary precaution even if they didn't actually contract the virus. It could end up being a huge issue for the Falcons as they stand to lose multiple players if it's as bad as feared. What a lot of people aren't sure about is what happens if this event comes to pass. Is the game canceled? Postponed? Are the Falcons even forced to forfeit the game to the Chicago Bears?

Not really.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the league has a firm policy on this. Teams who get hit with an outbreak won't be afforded postponements. They are required to fill the holes in the roster however possible and play the game.

"The Commissioner has created a committee of outside advisors to assist him with COVID-19 issues. As one source explained it to PFT before the season began, the committee (and in turn the Commissioner) won’t be inclined to grant dispensations in the form of a postponement or a cancellation to a team that suddenly loses multiple players due to a COVID-19 positive result. Football is the ultimate “next man up” sport, and the Falcons will be expected to backload the various positions on the field with players in order to proceed with 11 on offense, 11 on defense, and 11 on special teams."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgKtYA_2L28&ab_channel=AtlantaFalconsNation

Atlanta Falcons may have thankfully dodged a bullet

Uncertainty remains as to what the testing will reveal today. Mark Maske of The Washington Post has sourced saying they're confident any disaster was avoided and the game should proceed as scheduled. Others though urged caution as uncertainty remains. All things considered, the vibe coming out of Atlanta is the team probably dodged a huge bullet. Especially given their other health issues. The Falcons already lost two other defensive backs in Ricardo Allen and Kendall Sheffield to injuries. This in addition to five other players including star receiver Julio Jones who are questionable to play. This is an ailing football team that is now fighting for their season after starting 0-2.