TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate was one of the lucky ones when he had COVID-19 a couple months ago, in that he only had brief, mild symptoms. He said he contracted the virus from his fiance.

“Once she started displaying symptoms we both went into quarantine,” Brate said. “I actually initially tested negative but at some point, I contracted it from her and later became infected. For me personally, the only thing I experienced was a loss of taste for two days.”

Brate said there is some comfort in knowing he’s already had the virus, but there are still so many unknowns– like is he 100% certain he’s immune or can he get the virus again?

So per NFL policy, Brate still gets tested like everyone else and will be made to follow the same COVID-19 protocol while at the facility.

“Talking with the team doctors, the research is showing maybe a couple months I’ll have some level of immunity,” Brate said. “I’m hopeful that’s the case but I feel like I don’t really know anything about the virus. I’m just reading what’s being put-out there by the media and trying to figure-out the best way I can keep myself and those around me healthy. I definitely don’t feel like I’ve got the ‘S’ on my chest where I can’t get infected all year or anything like that.”

Brate was part of the off-season workouts with Tom Brady and several other Bucs players, but when asked about the possibility of passing it along to them and the timeline there, he said he had already quarantined with his fiance before he even showed symptoms so did not put anyone else at risk. He said his teammates continued the workouts without him while he and his fiance were self-isolating.

MORE ON THE BUCCANEERS