The Indianapolis Colts have a long list of players on the reserve/COVID-19 list as of Tuesday evening but the new protocols the league has put in place benefit them immensely as they prepare for a crucial Week 17 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Under the old protocols, an unvaccinated player that tested positive would be out for a minimum of 10 days. With the new protocols, under the CDC’s recommendations, the league has changed that to five days.
NFL and NFLPA now have adopted the new CDC guidelines that reduce the quarantine time to 5 days from 10 days for all Covid positive players who are asymptomatic, including those who are unvaccinated, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 28, 2021
So now, as long as a player tests negative and has no symptoms, an unvaccinated player can return after a five-day isolation.
This benefits the Colts in a great way because of the players they currently have on the COVID-19 list. Starters such as Quenton Nelson, Braden Smith, Darius Leonard, Mark Glowinski, Rock Ya-Sin, Khari Willis and Zach Pascal now all have a chance to return for the Week 17 game.
Under the old protocols, there was a strong chance the majority of them would be ruled out for the game because it would fall within the 10-day window.
The biggest news and perhaps the closest call the Colts will have this week is with quarterback Carson Wentz. The inevitable scenario hit the Colts Tuesday when Wentz tested positive. However, there is a chance he can test negative if asymptomatic and return on Sunday for the game.
Of course, he would be doing so without having practiced the entire week but he will still be involved in the virtual meetings.
It remains to be seen if Wentz will be able to play in the Week 17 game but given that the Colts will clinch a playoff berth with a win, it’s a storyline we’ll be monitoring heavily.
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