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COVID-19 News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/21

December 17th, 2021 at 10:30am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

  • Activated from Reserve/COVID-19 List: RB Mark Ingram

New York Giants

Washington Football Team

WFT To Sign QB Garrett Gilbert 

December 17th, 2021 at 9:20am CST by Zachary Links

The hits just keep on comin’. One day after placing Kyle Allen on the COVID-19 list, the Washington Football Team has done the same with quarterback Taylor Heinicke, per a club announcement. In desperate need of a signal caller, Washington has signed Garrett Gilbert to potentially start on Sunday against the Eagles. 

[RELATED: NFL Updates COVID-19 Protocols]

The NFL’s revised protocols could conceivably allow Heinicke and Allen to dress this week. But, with a little over 48 hours between now and kickoff, Washington had to act fast. Enter Gilbert, a 30-year-old journeyman with just seven pro appearances on his resume.

Gilbert’s lone start came with the Cowboys last year, a Week 9 loss to the Steelers. That too was a desperation move. Dak Prescott was injured, Andy Dalton was parked on the COVID-19 list, and youngster Ben DiNucci was coming off of a rough performance in Week 8. Gilbert finished the game 21-of-38 for 243 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

At 6-7, Washington still has a path to the playoffs. Their fate may rest in the hands of Gilbert or one of their practice squad QBs, either Kyle Shurmur or Jordan Ta’amu.

NFL Updates COVID-19 Protocols

December 16th, 2021 at 2:49pm CST by Zachary Links

With scores of positive tests throughout the NFL, the league has updated it’s policy for COVID-19 cases. The full memo (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport) details updates to the protocols, including new — and faster — ways in which a vaccinated player can “test out” of quarantine.

“Throughout the pandemic we have continuously evolved our protocols to meet our goal of advancing the safety of players, coaches, and staff,” said the league in a statement issued on Thursday afternoon. “The changes we are maing today aim to address the increase in cases and the advent of the Omicron variant. Effective immediately, all clubs will implement preventattive measures that have proven effective: masking regardless of vaccination status, remote or outdoor meetings, eliminating in-person meals, and no outside visitors while on team travel. We will continue to strongly encourage booster shots as the most effective protection.

“Finally, and based on expert advice, we will adjust the return-to-participation requirements for those who have recovered from COVID-19. All of those changes are grounded in our data and science-backed approach, with safety our number-one goal for the entire NFL community.”

Previously, the NFL required players to test negative twice on back-to-back days before retaking the field. Now, a vaccinated and asymptomatic player will be eligible to return as soon as the day after one positive test. All the changes will be in effect through the end of Week 15 (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero), with the potential for more modifications as time moves on.

Bengals Place Riley Reiff On IR

December 16th, 2021 at 1:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have placed Riley Reiff on the injured reserve list, per a club announcement. In a related move, they’ve also placed cornerback Chidobe Awuzie on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Reiff, who just turned 33, has started in all 12 of his games for the Bengals this season. While he’s never made a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, he’s been a solid protector for the Bengals, just as he has been throughout his career. He didn’t live up to his five-year, $58.75MM contract with the Vikings, but the Bengals were happy to pick him up this past spring. As of this writing, Pro Football Focus has him ranked as the 50th best tackle in the NFL out of 82 qualified players.

For now, Jonah Williams (PFF’s No. 22 ranked OT) will play with Isaiah Prince on the opposite side. The nature of the injury is not yet clear, but Reiff could potentially return after three weeks on the sidelines.

With a record of 7-6, the Bengals still have a 30% chance of making the playoffs and an 18% chance of winning the AFC North, per Five Thirty Eight. They’ll look to increase those odds this week — sans Reiff — with a win over the Broncos.

WFT Signs Akeem Spence

December 16th, 2021 at 11:13am CST by Zachary Links

The Washington Football Team has signed defensive tackle Akeem Spence, per a club announcement. Meanwhile, they’ve also placed safety Kam Curl, center Keith Ismael, and center Tyler Larsen on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. 

Washington now has 21 players on the COVID-19 list, which could leave them severely shorthanded this Sunday against the Eagles:

With that, it seems likely that Spence will see some playing time this week. If he does, it’ll mark the veteran’s first action of 2021. To date, he has 10.5 sacks and 204 total tackles across eight seasons in the league.

Dolphins Place Jaylen Waddle On COVID-19 List

December 16th, 2021 at 10:44am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have placed wide receiver Jaylen Waddle on the COVID-19 list. With just a few days to go until Sunday’s game against the Jets, it’s unlikely that Waddle will be cleared in time to play.

[RELATED: Dolphins Add Damon Arnette To Practice Squad]

Thanks to a five-game winning streak, the Dolphins are still clinging to a chance of qualifying for an AFC Wild Card spot. A loss to the Jets would all but knock them out of contention. Waddle, the No. 6 overall pick in last year’s draft, has been a huge part of the Dolphins’ success this year. Over the last five games alone, he’s registered 38 catches for 436 yards and one receiving touchdown, plus one rushing TD for good measure. In total, the standout rookie has 86 grabs for 849 yards and five total TDs.

On the plus side, the Jets have struggled against the pass all year long. They’ve allowed an average of 254 yards per game through the air, the sixth highest total of any team in the NFL. (The Dolphins, with 245.5 passing yards allowed on average, rank fifth).

Without Waddle, the Dolphins would be left with DeVante Parker, Albert Wilson, Isaiah Ford, Preston Williams, and Mack Hollins at WR. You can also expect Tua Tagovailoa to target Mike Gesicki even more after his 7/46 showing against the Giants last time out.

NFL Considering Changes To COVID-19 Protocols

December 15th, 2021 at 5:45pm CST by Ben Levine

With COVID-19 cases surging across the NFL, commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed that the league and the union are considering revisions to the league’s protocols.

“The thing that made us successful is keeping safety first,” Goodell said (via Alber Breer of TheMMQB on Twitter). “And second, being willing to adapt at all times.”

Earlier today, we learned that the NFL was considering tweaking a rule that would allow vaccinated, asymptomatic players who have tested positive to return to the field sooner (via Mark Maske of The Washington Post on Twitter). This followed a tweet from the NFL Players Associations earlier today that pushed for changes to protocol, including a request for daily testing.

“The NFL decided to take away a critical weapon in our fight against the transmission of COVID-19 despite our union’s call for daily testing months ago,” the NFLPA said in a statement. “We’re talking to our player leadership & to the NFL about potential changes to the protocols so that we can complete the season.”

Meanwhile, Goodell also said the spike in COVID cases won’t lead to any postponements or cancellations.

“There has not been any discussion about [postponements] and we will confident in our protocols,” the commissioner said (via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones on Twitter).

Browns’ Baker Mayfield Tests Positive For COVID-19

December 15th, 2021 at 8:45am CST by Zachary Links

Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has tested positive for COVID-19 (Twitter link via Adam Schefter and Kimberley A. Martin of ESPN.com). This means that Mayfield will be held out of this week’s game against the Raiders, unless he tests negative twice between now and Saturday. The same goes for cornerback Troy Hill, safety John Johnson III, defensive tackle Malik McDowell, and Ifeadi Odenigbo, all of whom were also placed on the reserve list today (Twitter link).

[RELATED: Browns Place Eight Players On COVID-19 List]

Mayfield is just the latest in a slew of positive tests for the Browns. On Tuesday, the Browns were forced to place eight players on the reserve list, including wide receiver Jarvis Landry, right guard Wyatt Teller, tight end Austin Hooper, left tackle Jedrick Wills, and defensive end Takkarist McKinley. As of this writing, roughly 16% of the Browns’ active roster could be shelved for their pivotal Week 15 game.

Mayfield is asymptomatic, or feeling “completely normal,” as one source tells Schefter (Twitter link). Still, the same COVID-19 protocols apply for the Browns’ star quarterback. If he’s unable to play, backup Case Keenum will be in line to start with Nick Mullens serving as the QB2.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski has also tested positive, leaving special teams coordinator Mike Priefer in charge for the week. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt — who does not typically call the plays — will run the offense on Saturday. And, on top of that, running back Kareem Hunt is expected to sit out as he heals up from his lingering calf injury. Ditto for cornerback Greg Newsome II (concussion) and safety Ronnie Harrison (ankle).

The Browns are 7-6 following last week’s W over the Ravens. They currently have a 40% chance of reaching the playoffs with a 25% chance of taking the division, per the stats at Five Thirty Eight.

NFL’s 2022 Salary Cap To Reach $208.2MM

December 14th, 2021 at 6:58pm CST by Ely Allen

December 14th, 6:58pm: The NFL has officially informed clubs that the 2022 cap will indeed be projected at $208.2MM, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).

December 5th, 3:02pm: Back in May, the NFL and NFL Players Association met in May and agreed to a salary cap for the 2022 season of $208.2MM. There was some speculation that the numbers may change based on a few different factors, and while the official, final number has not been announced, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report that it’s expected to be revealed at the NFL’s annual labor seminar next week that the cap will indeed reach the all-time high mark of $208.2MM.

The league’s previous high was in 2020 at $198.2MM. The cap had shown consistent growth each year with an average annual increase from 2013-2020 of $10.74MM per year. This trend was disrupted by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic which caused a loss of gate revenue and other income for the league. Because of those setbacks, the salary cap was reduced to $182.5MM for the 2021 season. The nearly $16MM cap reduction is not a complete reflection of the revenue lost by the NFL last year, since the NFL and NFLPA came to an agreement to spread out the anticipated losses over several years, as opposed to incurring it all at once.

The $10MM increase from the league’s previous high is about what the league expected the 2021 salary cap to rise to before the pandemic. This return to the expected increase doesn’t necessarily reflect a return to normalcy. It’s more of a sign of what may be to come as the losses from last year are already being offset by a potential increase in future revenue. The NFL is seeing, and will continue to see, an increase in revenue from the addition of a 17th game in the regular season, expanded playoffs, an influx of new gambling money, new TV deals, and many other new revenue streams.

It is even expected that the 2023 season will see another significant increase to the salary cap. The NFLPA is still recovering, paying back the league for what was essentially a low-interest loan that allowed players to continue making full salaries and bonuses last year, in addition to paying back players for benefits that were canceled in 2020, like performance-based pay, Pro Bowl pay, and tuition pay. But an increase is still to be expected when media “kickers” from the 2020 collective bargaining agreements are put into effect as money comes in from new TV deals. The “kickers” should increase the players’ share of revenue from 48% to as high as 48.8%.

The biggest takeaway from all of this should be that the moves and decisions made by both the league and the union show confidence that the league is done being affected financially by the global pandemic and that both sides are doing everything they can to protect the players from feeling that financial burden.

Rams’ OBJ Tests Positive For COVID-19

December 14th, 2021 at 2:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Odell Beckham Jr. has tested positive for COVID-19, according to veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson (Twitter link). The wide receiver will be placed on the Rams’ COVID-19 list, which may prevent him from playing the Seahawks on Sunday. 

[RELATED: Chiefs Place C. Jones On COVID-19 List]

OBJ is just the latest in a slew of positive cases across the NFL. On Monday, an estimated 37 players were found to have COVID-19. Today, league sources are expecting upwards of 25 more positive tests (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com).

Unlike Chris Jones and Rashawn Slater, Beckham has time to clear COVID-19 protocols, pending his vaccination status and forthcoming test results. Beckham, 29, has appeared in four games since joining the Rams. So far, he’s got 15 catches for 204 yards and three touchdowns with his new team. Between that and his 17/232 line from the Browns, he’s registered 32 catches for 436 yards, and three scores so far this year. It’s all a far cry from his best work, but the Rams are hoping to see the old OBJ down the stretch.

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