Rams center Brian Allen becomes first known NFL player to test positive for coronavirus

The NFL had its first known player test positive for the coronavirus.

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Los Angeles Rams starting center Brian Allen tested positive for COVID-19 three weeks ago and early last week, the player told Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer.

The NFL’s first known player to test positive for coronavirus

While Allen is now reportedly symptom-free for the most part, he experienced significant symptoms while dealing with the virus.

“I woke up three weeks ago, I couldn’t smell anything,” Allen said, according to Glazer. “I lost all sense of smell, to the point where I had smelling salts here. I cracked them open, put them to my nose and nothing happened.”

Allen reportedly added that he later lost his sense of taste and dealt with periodic sore throats, fatigue, stiffness and headaches over the course of three or four days. He is now expected to be cleared on Thursday, though doctors say it could take as long as eight months to fully regain his sense of smell.

A fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft, Allen became the Rams’ starting center last season.

Rams head coach Sean McVay told Glazer that the Rams’ facilities were all shut down in response to the news and will re-open next week. The Rams’ future stadium treated its first (and second) coronavirus case somewhat differently.

Allen is the first NFL player to be reported to have the coronavirus. New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton remains the most notable figure in the league to test positive, and other employees have tested positive or experienced symptoms.

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