Report: NFL, NFLPA Investigate 49ers and Kendrick Bourne for Protocol Violations


The NFL is reportedly investigating whether wide receiver Kendrick Bourne was wearing his face covering properly and frequently enough.

A day after San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne tested positive for COVID-19, the NFL and NFLPA are now investigating both the team and the player for possible protocol violations. There may be punishment forthcoming, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapaport.

It is standard procedure for the NFL to look into all positive coronavirus tests; however, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter that they were also investigating whether Bourne was wearing his face covering properly and frequently enough. 

Rapoport reported that Bourne's test came back negative on Thursday, and highlighted that testing positive one day and negative the next has happened many times before in the NFL. 

He stated, "98% of the time, the players have been proven to be positive," a statistic that was echoed by Schefter.

Whether Bourne's test was a false positive is still unknown.

Although Bourne and the three other people he lives with tested negative, he, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Trent Williams will stay on the COVID-19 list Thursday.

There were no more positive tests to emerge, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, and the 49ers are still set to host the Green Bay Packers at 5:20 p.m. PDT on Thursday.