The Pittsburgh Steelers’ season is over, this after the embarrassing loss in the Wild Card round of the AFC Playoffs to the Cleveland Browns, but the drama surrounding the team, and the 2020 season, is far from over.
Just a few hours after the loss to the Browns, it was reported the Steelers would have to close their facility due to a player testing positive for COVID-19. As the league conducted their typical contact tracing efforts, the Steelers have had to be away from the facility.
This meant a delay on players cleaning out their lockers, a delay on the exit interviews and many other facets which come along with the end of the year procedures.
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the player who tested positive was none other than tight end Eric Ebron.
TE Eric Ebron played in Sunday's playoff loss after missing the regular-season finale in Cleveland because he was on the Reserve/Covid-19 list as a close contact. He tested positive on Monday, forcing the Steelers to close their South Side facility to players and coaches.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) January 13, 2021
Ebron missed the Steelers’ Week 17 game vs. the Browns after being a high risk contact with Joe Haden, who had tested positive for COVID-19. After that initial news, it shouldn’t come as a shock Ebron tested positive.
With the season over, Ebron’s positive test result means very little for the organization. Withe players being permitted to go about their lives as normal, not having to worry about a positive test impact an upcoming game, once the facility opens up the players will be going through those aforementioned procedures as usual.
The hope is Ebron doesn’t have a severe case of COVID-19, and there hasn’t been any other spread throughout the rest of the players, coaches and staff of the organization. Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black and gold as they prepare for the rest of what could be a turbulent offseason.