The NFL’s Thanksgiving Day card just got a little bit lighter. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and Adam Schefter of ESPN, the league has decided to postpone the highly-anticipated AFC North game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers due to a COVID-19 outbreak among a number of members of the Ravens’ organization.
The #Ravens–#Steelers game previously set for Thursday night is being postponed to Sunday afternoon. The first in several weeks.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 25, 2020
Ravens-Steelers game postponed until Sunday afternoon.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 25, 2020
The news of the decision drew the ire of Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who blasted Baltimore for not following the league’s COVID protocols, while tight end Eric Ebron had a NSFW response. Their sentiment was apparently shared by a number of their teammates.
First the NFL takes away our bye week because another team can’t get their Covid situation together, now they take away our Thanksgiving primetime game for the same reason. Smh.
— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) November 25, 2020
i’m not gone lie @NFL THIS IS BULLSHIT…
— Eric Ebron (@Ebron85) November 25, 2020
The #Steelers players are very upset. But if this keeps them safer, that is a win for all. COVID forces everyone to adjust whether they like it or not. Now, for the first time in weeks, a game is pushed a few days.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 25, 2020
As Rapoport laid out, a handful of members of the Ravens’ organization, including seven players, have received positive COVID-19 tests in recent days.
The #Ravens had 7 players positive in 3 days, including most recently: Matt Skura, Pat Makari and Calais Campbell, plus several coaches and their top 2 RBs. Commissioner Roger Goodell made the decision with health and safety in mind.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 25, 2020
The league will still have a pair of games on Thanksgiving — the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys will, per tradition, host games, with the former playing Houston and the latter playing Washington — but the evening tilt was expected to be the best of the bunch, as the 10-0 Steelers would play hosts to the 6-4 Ravens. There is no word on whether the league would further postpone this game in the event that Baltimore keeps having positive tests pop up, but for now, the two teams will need to wait a few days before they can play the latest edition of their bitter rivalry.