UPDATE, 03/15/2020:

The XFL announced today that one of the Seattle Dragons players has tested positive for the Coronavirus.

The name of the sick player has not been made public at this time.

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UPDATE, 4:30 p.m.:

Turns out Ja’Quan Gardner won’t be playing football anytime soon. The XFL officially announced this afternoon that it has cancelled the rest of its regular season games for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

This is the second year in a row that Gardner has been part of a professional football league that was unable to complete its first season. Last year, when Gardner was a member of the San Diego Fleet, the Alliance of American Football League went bankrupt halfway through its inaugural season.

Rad more in the official XFL statement:

Currently, the XFL will not be playing its regular-season games. However, all players will be paid their base pay and benefits for the 2020 regular season. All XFL ticket holders will be issued refunds or credit toward future games. The XFL is committed to playing a full season in 2021 and future years.

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Former Humboldt State running back Ja’Quan Gardner will still take the field for the XFL’s Seattle Dragons this Sunday, despite Washington governor Jay Inslee’s recent ban on events of more than 250 people amid the Coronavirus epidemic plaguing the Emerald City and the world.

Although major events, sports or otherwise, have been canceled across the country in an attempt to slow the spread of the deadly contagion, including the suspension of the entire NBA season, the fledgling football league has decided to carry on as usual, minus the fans at CenturyLink Field.

“Based on the proclamation issued Wednesday by Washington Governor Jay Inslee, the Seattle Dragons will host the LA Wildcats this Sunday, as scheduled,” XFL President Jeffrey Pollack announced yesterday. “The game will take place at 4 p.m. at CenturyLink Field without fans in the venue.”

The XFL has not issued a statement on why it plans to continue the season in the midst of a global catastrophe. The New York Times reports that more than 340 cases of coronavirus have been identified in the state of Washington so far, leading to 29 reported deaths.

The unattended game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.