HEADLINES

COVID-19 News & Rumors

Nick Sirianni Tests Positive For COVID-19

December 22nd, 2021 at 1:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nick Sirianni became the second NFL head coach to test positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. Following Jets HC Robert Saleh, Sirianni is now in the league’s COVID protocol.

The Eagles announced their first-year coach experienced symptoms. Although Sirianni remains hopeful to be cleared in time to coach Sunday against the Giants, the Eagles could well be without their play-caller in Week 16.

If Sirianni is unable to recover in time, passing-game coordinator Kevin Patullo will be Philadelphia’s acting HC. Offensive coordinator Shane Steichen will call plays in this scenario, Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com tweets.

Under Sirianni’s guidance, the Eagles have reeled off one of the most successful rushing stretches in modern NFL history. They are riding a streak of seven straight games with 175 rushing yards, a run not matched since the 1985 Bears accomplished this. The Eagles’ win over Washington on Tuesday moved them to .500; FiveThirtyEight.com gives Philly a 36% chance to make the playoffs. The Eagles lost to the Giants in the teams’ New Jersey meeting, but Big Blue will not have Daniel Jones this time around.

Two head coaches — the Saints’ Sean Payton and the Browns’ Kevin Stefanski — missed last week’s games due to positive coronavirus tests. Stefanski has been cleared to return. Payton has not.

AFC Notes: Henry, Mayfield, Jets, Steelers

December 22nd, 2021 at 11:59am CST by Sam Robinson

Initially floated last month, the prospect of Derrick Henry coming back for the playoffs is moving closer to reality. Henry returning for the Titans‘ first postseason game is the plan, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes. Once thought to be out for the season, Henry has recovered well enough, per Rapoport, that the Titans would consider bringing him back for Week 18 — should the team need a win to reach the playoffs. Henry has been out since Week 8, when he suffered a Jones fracture in his foot. This would obviously be a tremendous development for the Titans, who have not been the same without the two-time reigning rushing champion. Henry’s 937 rushing yards still rank fifth in the NFL, despite the dominant back having missed the past six games. Henry underwent surgery Nov. 2.

Here is the latest from the AFC:

  • Although Baker Mayfield missed Monday’s game due to a positive COVID-19 test, the Browns quarterback has played through multiple injuries in the previous several weeks. The former No. 1 overall pick will, however, need offseason surgery and will be forced to wear a harness on his injured left shoulder the rest of this season, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes. Mayfield suffered a fractured shoulder bone in October. While some of Mayfield’s other injuries — of the knee and heel variety — have improved, the shoulder problem is unlikely to be in the rear-view mirror until after his 2022 surgery.
  • The Jets may be without their head coach in Week 16. Robert Saleh tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. Tight ends coach Ron Middleton would step in as acting head coach if Saleh remains sidelined on Sunday, when the Jets face the Jaguars.
  • Mekhi Becton has yet to resume practicing, with Saleh indicating earlier this week he had “no update” on his left tackle. Out with a dislocated kneecap he sustained in Week 1, Becton has yet to resume practicing. The Jets shutting down their left tackle would be wise here, Cimini writes. Two years remain on the 370-pound blocker’s contract, with a 2024 option included, but availability has become a concern for the 2020 first-rounder. Becton missed some time last season, and the Jets have previously levied discipline over his weight.
  • First-year Steelers offensive line coach Adrian Klemm has attracted interest from a high-profile college program. Oregon is pursuing the NFL assistant, ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg tweets. Promoted after two years as the Steelers’ assistant O-line coach, Klemm has only been an NFL assistant for three seasons. He worked as a college staffer previously, ending that run as a UCLA associate head coach. Oregon is assembling a new staff under recently hired HC Dan Lanning.

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/21/21

December 21st, 2021 at 10:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Once again, we’ve had a busy day of moves on and off the reserve/COVID-19 list. Here are the players who were placed on the list or activated off of it today:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Dalton Keene (remains on IR)

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Washington Football Team

Bills Place WR Beasley On COVID-19 List

December 21st, 2021 at 9:51pm CST by Ely Allen

Cole Beasley was placed on the Bills’ Reserve/COVID-19 list today according to a tweet from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The slew of moves to and from the Reserve/COVID-19 list has been dizzying as the omicron variant makes its way through the league. What makes Beasley’s case significant is not only his impact as the second leading receiver in Buffalo, but also his status as an unvaccinated player in the NFL.

A vaccinated player who tests positive and is asymptomatic will be isolated and contact tracing will occur, same as an unvaccinated player. The rules for returning are different.

According to the original protocol, a vaccinated player would be permitted to return from a positive test when he returns two negative tests that occur at least 24-hours apart. The new protocol provides a series of new combinations of single negative tests and cycle threshold readings that could potentially return a player as early as one day after a positive test. After that, the player will be tested every week, unless otherwise directed by medical staff. An unvaccinated player who tests positive will be isolated for a period of 10 days and permitted to return if asymptomatic. The unvaccinated player will continue with the unvaccinated protocol of being tested everyday upon their return.

As one of the more outspoken unvaccinated players, we now know that if Beasley was placed on the list for a positive test, as opposed to having had close contact with an infected individual, he will miss the Bills’ upcoming game in Foxborough. I don’t know the specifics of how strict the five-day quarantine period is for if he was placed on the list merely for having close contact, and if that could potentially allow him to return on the fifth day and play, but it’s possible that being unvaccinated will cause Beasley to miss this weekend’s game regardless.

WFT To Start Garrett Gilbert 

December 21st, 2021 at 3:05pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s now official. On Tuesday, the Washington Football Team announced that quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen were unable to test out of COVID-19 protocols. With that, journeyman Garrett Gilbert will start tonight against the Eagles.

Gilbert, recently signed off of the Patriots’ taxi squad, started for the Cowboys last year in a Week 9 loss to the Steelers. Filling in for Dak Prescott (injured) and Andy Dalton (on the COVID list), Gilbert went 21-of-38 for 243 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. It wasn’t a particularly memorable performance, but it was at least better than what the Cowboys were getting out of Ben DiNucci.

The 30-year-old passer has dressed for just seven games in his NFL career. This will be his biggest one yet as Washington fights for a playoff spot. A win tonight would give them a 43% chance of qualifying; a loss would require them to win out and get extremely lucky.

Washington has been able to activate a couple of its players for tonight’s game — cornerback Troy Apke and defensive tackle Tim Settle. Beyond that, they’ll elevate four practice squaders: fullback Alex Armah, linebacker De’Jon Harris, tackle David Steinmetz, and quarterback Kyle Shurmur, who will serve as the QB2 behind Gilbert.

Rams Activate Von Miller

December 21st, 2021 at 2:22pm CST by Zachary Links

The Rams have activated Von Miller from the COVID-19 list, per a club announcement. Ditto for running back Jake Funk and linebackers Travin Howard and Christian Rozeboom.

[RELATED: Chiefs Place Hill On COVID-19 List]

Miller is now eligible to play tonight against the Seahawks, but the Rams will still be playing without several key starters. Right tackle Rob Havenstein, tight end Tyler Higbee, and strong safety Jordan Fuller were not able to test out of protocol, so they’ll be watching from a distance.

Miller, 32, has 110.5 sacks to his credit, more than any other active player in the NFL. He’s still on the hunt for his first Rams sack, though he did notch 4.5 sacks for the Broncos earlier this year. Sacks aside, Miller is still giving quarterbacks fits. As of this writing, Pro Football Focus has Miller ranked as the ninth-best edge defender in the NFL with an 86.6 overall score. That’s just a tick below his finest work in Denver and well ahead of his 2019 showing, a career-low 79.3 mark.

At 9-4, the Rams can more or less clinch their playoff spot with a W over the Seahawks. A win would also bring them one step closer to capturing the NFC West.

Chiefs Place WR Tyreek Hill On COVID-19 List

December 21st, 2021 at 2:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs are placing wide receiver Tyreek Hill, cornerback Rashad Fenton, and tight Blake Bell on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, according to Adam Teicher and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The team is expecting to add more players to the list and, as one source tells the duo, “It’s a mess.” 

[RELATED: Chiefs Place Kelce On Reserve/COVID-19 List]

The Chiefs have, for all intents and purposes, punched their ticket to the playoffs as well as the AFC West crown. Still, they’re pushing to lock up a first-round bye over the next few weeks. They currently lead the AFC with a 10-4 record but the Patriots (9-5) aren’t far behind.

Fortunately, the Chiefs have a ways to go between now and Sunday afternoon’s tilt against the Steelers. Any players who are vaccinated, asymptomatic, and able to pass another test will be able to play. They’ll be keeping their fingers crossed for Travis Kelce, Hill, and any other positives that emerge this week.

Hill, 27, is in the midst of another outstanding season with 102 catches for 1,178 yards and nine touchdowns through 14 games. Just last week, he torched the Chargers for a 12/148/1 line, so the Steelers could stand to benefit from his absence. They, too, are still playing for something at 7-6-1 — Five Thirty Eight gives them an 18% chance of making the playoffs with a 10% chance of taking the sardine-packed AFC North.

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/20/21

December 20th, 2021 at 10:23pm CST by Ben Levine

A long list of players were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. We listed the players who landed on the list today, as well as those who were activated off the list:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE John Franklin-Myers, DB Sharrod Neasman

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Chargers Place Joey Bosa, Austin Ekeler On COVID-19 List

December 20th, 2021 at 12:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers will be forced to place edge rusher Joey Bosa, center Corey Linsley, and running back Austin Ekeler on the COVID-19 list (Twitter link via Daniel Popper of The Athletic). The Bolts will likely add more players to that list later today, which may leave them at less than full strength for Sunday’s game against the Texans. 

Bosa was reported to be unvaccinated earlier this year. So, unless he has received the vaccine in recent weeks, he’ll still be subject to the league’s 2020 protocols and held out of this week’s game. Even under the revised rules, unvaccinated players who test positive must remain in quaratine for a minimum of ten days.

Bosa was briefly placed on the COVID-19 list back in November when he was ID’d as a high-risk close contact. But, after testing negative, he was cleared to face the Steelers in Week 11.

The 26-year-old is in the midst of another sensational season with 43 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and a league-leading six forced fumbles. Needless to say, he’s well on his way to a third straight Pro Bowl selection, which would give him four for his young career. The Chargers have Bosa under contract for years to come, thanks to the five-year, $135MM mega-deal he inked in 2020.

Unfortunately, the Chargers be without Bosa for at least a little while as they work to clinch a playoff berth. At 8-6, the Bolts have a 75% chance of. making the cut, per Five Thirty Eight, plus an outside chance of catching the Chiefs for the divisional crown.

WFT Places Brandon Scherff On COVID-19 List

December 20th, 2021 at 11:50am CST by Zachary Links

Brandon Scherff will be placed on Washington’s Reserve/COVID-19 list (Twitter link via Ben Standig of The Athletic). With the All-Pro guard added to the tally, WFT currently has 16 players on the list headed into tomorrow’s game against the Eagles. 

[RELATED: WFT Activates Allen, Sweat]

Washington expects offensive lineman Matt Ioannidis to be cleared in time (Twitter link via Edward Ford of FOX 61), but everyone else’s status is TBD. That includes quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen, which means that journeyman Garrett Gilbert could be in line to start.

Scherff, who turns 30 on Sunday, missed a total of 18 games from 2017-2020. So far this year, he’s suited up for just nine games and he’ll miss another this week. Playing on his second-straight franchise tag at a rate of $18.04MM, he’s scheduled for free agency in the spring.

Washington still has a 20% chance of making the playoffs, per the stats at Five Thirty Eight. But, at 6-7, a loss to the Birds would likely level those odds.

Load More Posts