Tommy Sweeney, a professional football player for the Buffalo Bills, has developed myocarditis as a side effect of a recent COVID-19 diagnosis and will miss the rest of the 2020 season.
Sweeney, a tight end first drafted by the Bills in 2019, had not yet played this year due to a foot injury. He is the first player from the National Football League (NFL) with myocarditis, though several other athletes—including baseball player Eduardo Rodriguez—have also developed the condition after a COVID-19 diagnosis.
A cardiologist detected Sweeney’s myocarditis during a mandatory checkup.
“I saw him today,” Sean McDermott, head coach of the Bills, said to the media. “He looks in good spirits. It's unfortunate, he's had a rough year with the injury the early part of the year and then now with the COVID and then the residual piece of the COVID, it appears, from my position. It's unfortunate, but we know that he's a good football player and we know he's a guy that we believe in and can't wait to get back on the field when we can here.”
The NFL has emphasized its tough COVID-19 protocols throughout this season, but the ongoing pandemic has still left its mark in a variety of ways.
The Cleveland Browns announced Nov. 25, for example, that they had to temporarily close a facility due to a positive test. The team had closed another facility for the same reason just one day prior. Also, a game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens originally scheduled for Thanksgiving has been moved to Sunday due to positive tests.
NFL players can be added to a special COVID-19 reserve list after a diagnosis or being in close contact with someone who tested positive. How long the player is required to stay on that reserve list is determined by their diagnosis, symptoms and other factors.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.