Will LA Rams C Allen’s rehab be impacted by positive COVID-19 test?

The LA Rams center Brian Allen is reportedly the first active NFL player to test positively for the coronavirus. Will it adversely impact his rehab?

The LA Rams roster may not be to 90 players just yet, but the team has plenty of players, who are now all over the country.  Unfortunately, they are the first team to report an active player has contracted the COVID-19. That player is center Brian Allen and is on the path to recovery.

Per Rich Hammond from the Athletic, the team did close the facility for all rehabbing players but have since reopened it this week. Allen, as is recommended for all persons who have tested positive for coronavirus, has self quarantined and has not resumed contact with Rams personnel as part of his rehab regiment.

I don’t think this is as newsworthy as the sports headlines seem to be making of it. And right now, virtually all sports news media is covering this story. But NFL players are, in fact, just as much at risk as any of us. With 32 NFL teams that will soon boast up to 90 players apiece, it is hard to believe not one of those players will have been exposed to the virus, and that some would not contract this very infectious disease.

So far, all reports on the topic indicate that Brian Allen is truly on the mend and that no other staff or rehabbing players have exhibited any symptoms or had positive test results of having contracted COVID-19 to date.

The concern at this point is the health and recovery of Brian Allen himself. He is still on the path to recovery from a devastating injury in 2019 that forced him to injured reserve for the majority of the season. Rehabbing an injured knew is progressive in nature. That means that the knee is exercised and tested to ensure a gradual repair and strengthening while preventing re-injury.  While there is no confirmation of how this impacts Allen’s rehab, it most certainly is not a positive development.

This is all unchartered territory for most of us, and the cautiousness by which many authorities seem to be moving is to ensure carefully vetting the next moves. This will likely not be the last report of an NFL player contracting coronavirus. As the NFL passes through the 2020 NFL Draft and into the actual training camp portion of the season, more cautious measures will likely be announced.

For now, NFL fans have a draft, and an undrafted free agent signing period after that to look forward to. Beyond that, all bets are off.