This was not wholly unexpected.
Reports came out Thursday evening that Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had tested positive for COVID-19. Now, their game with the Steelers Sunday at Heinz Field is in serious jeopardy.
Jackson had direct contact with running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram and centers Patrick Mekari and Matt Skura, all four of whom tested positive for the virus earlier this week.
Ravens believe Lamar Jackson became infected in Sunday's game vs. Titans and is only now testing positive.
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) November 27, 2020
Jackson took snaps from center Patrick Mekari, who tested positive.
Jackson's locker room on game day is close to RBs J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram - both tested positive.
With multiple players, including Jackson, testing positive Thursday, the Ravens' practice facility in suburban Baltimore was shut down until Monday. There are conflicting reports if that move was made by the Ravens or the NFL. That means the game against the Steelers, which had already been rescheduled from Thursday to Sunday likely won't be played then, either, though for now, the league is saying that it's still on.
That leaves the NFL with some options that the league won't be too happy to make.
The first would be to force the Ravens to play the game on Monday or even Tuesday. But that would also mean the NFL would have to shift Baltimore's game in Week 13, against the Cowboys, out of the Thursday night slot in which it is currently scheduled to be played.
Because those games are broadcast nationally on the NFL Network, that costs the NFL money directly.
Barring that, the league has two other choices it could make. It could just scratch the game from the schedule. Or, it could move it to Week 18, essentially giving the Steelers a second bye week.
A forfeit would be a last resort, but perhaps it should be on the table in this instance.
At issue is the agreement the NFL and the NFLPA made before this season began that stated players will not be paid for games that don't take place. It was a means for the owners to protect themselves in case the entire league was forced to shut down for a period of time during the pandemic. And the NFLPA agreed to it.
So, if the game is simply scratched from the schedule, neither the Steelers or Ravens players get paid for Week 12. A game would not have occurred.
At the same time, if the game is moved to Week 18, it could be argued that the Ravens would be benefitting from a situation in which the team put itself with one of its own coaches -- head strength and conditioning coach Steve Saunders -- flouting the league's COVID-19 rules.
The Ravens put themselves in this situation. And they dragged the Steelers into it with them.
Also at issue is the fact that a few weeks ago, the NFL Competition Committee, on which Mike Tomlin sits, put forth a proposal to NFL owners that if games are cancelled and Week 18 isn't added, the NFL should expand its playoffs to eight teams in each conference, up from the seven currently slated to reach the postseason.
Again, if that happens, Baltimore, which even at 6-4 is currently on the outside looking in on the AFC playoff field, could benefit from all of this.
There are a lot of moving parts here.
But as long as this game can be played safely without any potential for Steelers players to be exposed to the virus, it should be played. And perhaps that's why, if the Ravens don't have any additional positive tests between now and Sunday, the league will tell them to play this game.
And it should make that decision sooner rather than later. That decision apparently will be made Friday morning.