New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Daniel Jones were seen maskless in a New York City bar on Friday night, ESPN reports. The incident comes as the NFL continues to try and maintain strict rules about players not gathering outside of their designated practice facilities in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19.
According to NJ.com, Jones, Barkley, and a few of their close friends had a private dinner in the city, after which the group was caught on camera having drinks at a bar that they closed off to the public as well. The since-deleted video, which was captured by a DJ in the bar and posted on Instagram, shows Jones, Barkley, and another person maskless in the bar.
The New York Giants have since released a statement, saying that they are looking into the alleged gathering and the context of the video.
"We are looking into the nature and context of what is on the video," the team's statement read per ESPN.
The NFL has been trying its best to curtail cases of COVID-19 that have been popping up during the season, with some games having already been postponed. Per NBC Sports, league officials are also concerned that teams with worse records might start to shirk their social distancing responsibilities as the playoffs near.
The Giants currently sit at 1-6 this season, with their next opponent being the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8. The Buccaneers are in the middle of reportedly finalizing a deal with Antonio Brown who would have his debut with the team in Week 9 against the Saints.
