- San Francisco wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has tested positive for COVID-19.
- The Niners have closed their team facility and will continue preparation for Thursday’s game against Green Bay via video.
- Pending further notice the Thursday game against the Packers is still set to be played as originally scheduled.
The San Francisco 49ers have been hit hard by injury this season and now they’ve got a COVID-19 issue to deal with. On Wednesday, the team was forced to close their facility after a positive COVID-19 test result to wide receiver Kendrick Bourne. The team is now proceeding with contact tracing and will continue preparation for their Thursday night football game against the Green Bay Packers ‘virtually’. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Thursday night game is still set to be played as scheduled.
Bourne is reportedly asymptomatic but in self quarantine. Bourne’s agent Henry Organ says his client is fine and following all of the necessary protocol:
“Kendrick Bourne feels fine. He’s A-OK. He’s staying home and taking it seriously.”
The team released a more verbose assessment of the situation in a statement:
“The San Francisco 49ers were informed today that a player has tested positive for COVID-19 and the individual immediately went into self-quarantine. Our organization has entered the NFL’s intensive protocol and we are working with the league on contact tracing to identify high risk individuals. All team functions will be conducted virtually today. The health and safety of our players, staff and community are the organization’s highest priority. We will continue to work closely with the NFL and medical professionals and will follow their direction.”
As of now, the game on Thursday night against the Packers is still scheduled. It would appear that it has a better than average chance of being played despite the Niners’ positive COVID-19 test since there’s no way to replace it with another game on such short notice. For now at least, the Niners insist that their decision to close down the team facility is ‘precautionary’.
The game was off the board at most major sportsbooks earlier today though a look at the Don Best screen currently (1:35 PM Pacific) shows that most shops have put it back up. Subscribers received this notice earlier today:
The game remains off the board at a few books including Wynn Las Vegas, the Atlantis and Peppermill Casinos in Reno (Northern Nevada shops always get heavy action on Niners’ games) and the Monarch Casino sportsbook in Black Hawk, Colorado. The game is also off the board at sportsbooks powered by ISI Race and Sports which include the Colorado Grande and Johnny Nolon’s Casino in Cripple Creek, Colorado. The line on the game is -6 or -6.5 with the total set at 49 or 49.5.
The Packers have their own COVID-19 issues. Running back AJ Dillion is on the COVID-19/Reserve list and is OUT for Thursday’s game. Linebacker Kamal Martin and running back Jamaal Williams are in quarantine due to contact tracing protocols and are also OUT.
The Niners will be without a number of key players in addition to Bourne, most significantly Jimmy Garoppolo who is OUT indefinitely with an ankle injury. Garoppolo is still consulting with doctors and trainers to weigh his options which include surgery. Nick Mullins will start at quarterback for San Francisco on Thursday night.
