‘Concerned’ Seahawks talking with 49ers days after playing COVID-positive Kendrick Bourne
Even division rivals cooperate during a pandemic.
Especially when it’s a common issue concerning the pandemic.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider was communicating closely with 49ers leadership Wednesday in the hours after Niners wide receiver Kendrick Bourne tested positive for COVID-19 and San Francisco shut down its team facility.
The 49ers said the positive test came back Wednesday morning, three days after the Seahawks and 49ers played in Seattle. Bourne immediately went into self-quarantine after getting the positive test result.
“Our organization has entered the NFL’s intensive protocol and we are working with the league on contact tracing to identify high risk individuals,” the team said in a statement.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said his team is worried about Bourne’s case. Seattle has yet to have a positive case for COVID-19 since daily testing began in the league July 28, reporting day for training camp.
“We’re concerned, yeah. Of course we are,” Carroll said. “We just played them a few days back. We are doing our homework with the timing of his exposure, all that kind of stuff, when he showed first, make sense of it. We have to be tuned into that. ...
“All we can do right now is test and be aware of the connections. We just played a football game against the guy. A lot of guys had some exposure.”
Late Wednesday afternoon, the 49ers were also placing left tackle Trent Williams plus wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel on the reserve/COVID-19 list as close contacts. That was according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
The league has had outbreaks on teams—notably two dozen positive cases on the Tennessee Titans last month—that have postponed multiple games. But the NFL has no evidence nor positive tests to confirm any transmission of the coronavirus from one team to an opponent that infected team just played.
Carroll said he and his Seahawks have been talking to their players about who was in contact with Bourne at midfield immediately following Sunday’s game. Some were with Bourne during the customary postgame handshakes, hugs and visiting following Seattle’s victory over San Francisco at CenturyLink Field.
Carroll said his team is not going through contract tracing to the point of reviewing game field to see which Seahawks were closest to Bourne during play.
Bourne was on the field for 60 of San Francisco’s 70 offensive snaps in Seattle. He had eight catches in 10 targets for 81 yards.
New nickel defensive back D.J. Reed, making his debut for the Seahawks, tackled Bourne four times on catches. Starting cornerbacks Tre Flowers (twice) and Quinton Dunbar (once) also tackled Bourne after receptions Sunday.
Carroll said of scrubbing game tape to see which Seahawks came in contact with Bourne, and how closely: “Honestly, that’s not part of it, to look at it that way.
“We talked our way through it, kind of started to ask some guys that had some postgame interactions and stuff like that.”
The coach said those postgame greetings between opposing players may be ending in the NFL.
“I don’t know if you’re hearing it or not, but there are some changes that are coming in terms of protocol and all that would have lessened the issue in this game,” Carroll said. “If we stayed away, meet guys at midfield or not, pregame or in postgame, those are issues right now. There’s some wearing masks when you do that that is now appropriate. There’s some other things happening.”
In the meantime, the 49ers were as of Wednesday evening planning to play as scheduled Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers in Santa Clara, California.
The Seahawks were trying to learn all they can about the 49ers’ situation, including knowing exactly when Bourne tested positive.
“Right now John and the guys they’re working with to understand what took place, what we should do next about playing (against) a guy who tested positive on the day he tested. We have to find out exactly when that was. I don’t know that right now,” Carroll said. “I would think it was (Tuesday), at least, that he tested positive. Part of that process is figuring out when a guy is contagious, that kind of stuff.
“We’ll see what happens. I don’t know anything more specific about it than that.”
Carroll said as of Wednesday afternoon the Seahawks had not heard from the NFL about the situation.
All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner said he wasn’t as worried about Bourne’s positive test as his Seahawks coach is.
“I’m not concerned about it. I don’t think I was around him too much,” Wagner said. “And from my knowledge, I think there hasn’t been a positive test from in-game, you know, in the in-game thing.
“So, you know, I think we’re fine. ...everybody’s really careful (around the Seahawks).
“We do it the right way year. I think we’ll be fine.”
Wagner talked before this unprecedented season that the teams that had the best self-discipline to do the right things on and off the field, at the team facility and stadiums and away from them, would succeed the most.
The Seahawks are 6-1, the NFC’s only one-loss team. And they’ve had zero COVID-19 cases—knock on wood, for them.
“No, I’m not surprised, because I feel like everybody here takes it pretty serious,” Wagner said.
“And I think our state is doing a pretty good job, as far as I know. And, you know, I feel like the team is doing a great job.
“You know, I think we’re really on it. And everybody’s conscious of it. We understand what’s at stake. We understand we are playing with people’s lives.
“And you don’t want to do that.”
This story was originally published November 4, 2020 at 4:00 PM with the headline "‘Concerned’ Seahawks talking with 49ers days after playing COVID-positive Kendrick Bourne."
