Days after Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz lit up Illinois en route to a 45-7 win on Friday, Mertz has reportedly tested positive for Covid-19.
That’s according to this report from Colton Bartholomew of the Wisconsin State Journal, who notes that Mertz is still waiting for a confirmation positive from a more conclusive nasal swab test.
As with all positive tests that occur using the daily rapid antigen tests, Mertz will be taking a PCR nasal swab test in order to confirm his status. The result of that test has not yet been returned to UW. It typically takes about a day to turn a PCR test around, depending on the lab reading the test.
In addition to the obvious possible health concerns, both for Mertz and anyone he may have contacted (which, presumably, would include a lot of the team itself), a confirmed positive would take him out of the team setup for nearly a month.
If the PCR test confirms Mertz’s diagnosis, the No. 9 University of Wisconsin football team’s redshirt freshman quarterback will have to sit out of practice and games for at least 21 days, per the Big Ten Conference’s protocols. Mertz’s test could be a false-positive, which would have to be proven by the PCR test. If Mertz is out for at least 21 days, he’ll miss contests at Nebraska, against Purdue and at Michigan.