After going the first two weeks of the NFL season without a coronavirus case, the league finally has a case. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Atlanta Falcons' A.J. Terrell will miss the team's Week 3 matchup against the Chicago Bears due to contracting COVID-19.

As Schefter mentions, Terrell is being placed on the reserve COVID list — marking the first time this season that an NFL player is on the list.

Terrell reportedly tested positive after taking the test on Friday morning. No other Falcons player has tested positive so far.

“Falcons got the news about CB A.J. Terrell's test today; it was from a test he took Friday morning. Terrell practiced Friday. Now immediate contact tracing goes into effect, per league protocols, but the Falcons have not gotten any other positive test results.”

As Tadd Haislop of The Sporting News cites, Terrell will immediately be isolated and will not be allowed to have contact with teammates and team personnel.

“All NFL players who test positive for COVID-19 go through the same protocols. First, they are immediately isolated. They are forbidden to access team facilities and are not allowed to have any direct contact with fellow players or team personnel. They immediately are placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list”

Assuming Terrell is asymptomatic, he can return under two conditions.

  • 10 days have passed since the initial positive test; OR
  • Five days have passed since the initial positive test and the player receives two consecutive negative PCR virus tests at least 24 hours apart within that five-day period

If he's showing symptoms, Terrell can return when:

  • At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared; AND
  • At least 72 hours have passed since he last experienced symptoms

We'll keep you up to date as soon as more information becomes available regarding the NFL's first positive coronavirus case during the 2020 season.