COVID-19 Takes a Toll on the NFL
By Brooke Brottman
As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise around the country, the NFL is also dealing with the exact same issue. As of Friday morning, 50% of the league's 32 teams are dealing with at least one case of Coronavirus. In total, 16 teams have either had to place a player on the reserve/COVID-19 list or had to shut down their facility due to a COVID scare. The one thing to remember about COVID-19 is that if a player has tested positive or has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list it is because they're viewed as a high-risk close contact. They could potentially still play on Sunday if they record five straight days of negative tests.
Here are the teams that have been impacted by COVID-19 just this week alone.
49ers: San Francisco has four players on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel along with starting tackle Trent Williams were deemed in close contact with receiver Kendrick Bourne, who tested positive. Those four players all had to sit out in Thursday's loss to Green Bay.
Packers: The Packers have three players on the reserve/COVID-19 list: Running backs A.J. Dillon and Jamaal Williams along with linebacker Kamal Martin. All three players had to sit out of the game during the Packers' Thursday night win over San Francisco. Packers linebacker Krys Barnes, who played on Thursday before leaving the game with an injury, tested positive on Friday.
Lions: Matthew Stafford was one of the biggest name players to be on the reserve/COVID-19 list for any team, and he's one of two Lions players currently on the list, along with linebacker Jarrad Davis.
Steelers: The team placed Roethlisberger and three others on the reserve/COVID-19 list after they were deemed high-risk close contacts with tight end Vance McDonald, who returned a positive test for the virus Monday. Although Ben Roethlisberger was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers are optimistic their quarterback will be available for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Ravens: Not only is Baltimore dealing with a positive test from cornerback Marlon Humphrey, but they also had to place linebackers Matt Judon, Tyus Bowser, Patrick Queen, L.J. Fort, and Malik Harrison along with defensive backs Terrell Bonds and DeShon Elliott on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Texans: The Texans canceled practice and shut down their facility on Thursday after linebacker Jacob Martin tested positive for COVID-19. Linebackers Whitney Mercilus and Dylan Cole have also been placed on the COVID-19 reserve list due to close contact with Martin and all three players were ineligible to play in Sunday's game.
Cowboys: The Cowboys were hoping that Andy Dalton could have played this last week, but that was not the case, because he was placed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list.
Bears: Offensive tackle Jason Spriggs tested positive for COVID-19, which landed him and Germain Ifedi on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Ifedi was placed on the list after the league determined he was at high risk of close contact. Offensive lineman Cody Whitehair also tested positive.
Broncos: The Broncos have placed practice squad tackle Darrin Paulo and defensive end Shelby Harris on the COVID-19 list. Several members of the Broncos front office, including GM John Elway and President Joe Ellis, have also tested positive.
Cardinals: Arizona had to place two players on the reserve/COVID-19 list this last week as linebacker Devon Kennard and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., both tested positive.
Colts: In Indianapolis, the Colts didn't have any players test positive, but they did have one team employee who came down with COVID-19. Due to that situation, the Colts held practice as normal Thursday, but all in-person meetings were changed to virtual-only.
Chiefs: Star pass-rusher Chris Jones has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The Chiefs also had a staff member test positive. The team held practice on Thursday morning and then closed their facility shortly after that.
Raiders: Offensive tackle Trent Brown has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 for the second time in less than two weeks. Brown tested positive for COVID-19 on October 22, but then recorded five straight days of negative tests, which made him eligible to play against the Browns. However, Brown ended up missing the game due to a medical mishap.
Bengals: Cincinnati had two players test positive on Friday. The good news for the Bengals is that they were on a bye week, which means the players will have plenty of time to recuperate before Cincinnati's next game.
Any team dealing with a COVID situation has to follow the NFL's intensive protocol guidelines, which means half the league is currently following those guidelines.
NFL Players wear face coverings on the sidelines during games (Vincent Carchietta | USA TODAY Sports)
When the NFL returned to play in the middle of a pandemic, it could control how often its players were tested, and when they had to wear masks. However, there was one thing it had absolutely zero power over and that was the state of the pandemic in the U.S. Now COVID-19 cases are rapidly rising in America, but they are rising in America’s most popular sport, too. Players are increasingly getting sidelined because of positive tests. Their teammates are also being taken off the field because of contact tracing. The temporary closure of team facilities has become a routine now. Coaches have to adapt with lost practice time ahead of games as the league plays through these daily obstacles. The games themselves are being played without key players. This NFL season is taking place in cities across the country, and not inside a bubble, which means the league’s players and personnel face the same exposures as anyone else in America, and that exposure is increasing and is starting to take a toll on the league.
You can follow Brooke on Twitter @Brottman_10.
