Ravens and Steelers Players Face Potential Loss of Pay Amid COVID-19 Controversy

Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburg Steelers players face the potential loss of pay following Baltimore’s latest COVID-19 outbreak.

The Ravens are one of the latest teams to be hit with the coronavirus. Originally set to play Pittsburgh on Thanksgiving Day, Baltimore has had at least a dozen players and several staff members test positive for the virus so far. Among the players is star quarterback Lamar Jackson; he is one of the four players who tested positive on Thursday.

Baltimore proactively disciplined a staff member for failing to meet the NFL’s protocols by failing to report their symptoms and not wearing a face mask.

The Steelers-Ravens game has been moved to Dec. 1 at 8 ET following the outbreak.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh told his players on Thursday that they were not allowed to return to the team facility until Monday at the earliest due to safety concerns.

Back in early October NFL commissioner Roger Goodell warned teams that violating league protocols would result in potential loss of draft picks or forfeiture of a game.

“Protocol violations that result in virus spread requiring adjustments to the schedule or otherwise impacting other teams will result in additional financial and competitive discipline, including the adjustment or loss of draft choices or even the forfeit of a game.”

Oct. 5 NFL memo

Should the Ravens forfeit, it would mean that players on both teams lose out on pay for the game. In order for the team to forfeit, the league would need to verify that the virus spread explicitly through misconduct by the Ravens’ organization. No NFL team has ever officially forfeited a game in the modern era.

Photo: (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)