Los Angeles Rams centre Brian Allen first NFL player to test positive for coronavirus

Los Angeles: Rams offensive lineman Brian Allen tested positive for COVID-19 but is recovering with slight symptoms, according to a Rams spokesperson.

Allen, a third-year pro, is recovering from knee surgery that ended his 2019 season early.

Allen, a fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft, started nine games at centre last season. He had been going through rehabilitation treatment at the Rams facility, but the team closed the facility a few weeks ago after learning of Allen’s test result, the Rams spokesman said.

Allen had experienced loss of taste and smell, the spokesman said. The facility has since reopened for select rehabilitation work but Allen has not returned.

Last week, Rams coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead were asked by reporters if any members of the organisation had been affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

“There’s been a couple guys that, you know, we’ve had some conversations with, but they’re in a good place right now,” McVay said. “Just out of the respect for the privacy, I don’t want to get into anybody’s specific names, but everybody is in a good spot.”

McVay was asked whether he had spoken to players because they had COVID-19.

“There’s people, whether it be not exclusive to players, but obviously in our building, or they might have been exposed to, so you want to take all the precautionary measures,” he said. “That’s really what it is. But there’s nobody that, to my knowledge, is in a bad spot right now. Everyone is feeling good.

“Their families are healthy, and we’re really just doing everything we can to be sound in how we follow the guidelines. That’s really more what I meant.”

When Snead was asked whether any players or their families or people who work in the Rams building had been affected directly by COVID-19, he said, “I’m not going to go into that,” citing privacy laws.