Tag: Baltimore Ravens COVID-19

Matthew Judon tests positive for COVID-19

Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Matthew Judon is the latest positive COVID-19 case among the team that has already been ravaged.

As tight end Mark Andrews tested positive for COVID-19, so too did outside linebacker Matthew Judon, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. It’s a further continuation of the Baltimore Ravens COVID-19 outbreak that has ravaged the team’s roster and seen their next two games rescheduled.

Baltimore reached a milestone 20 players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list after placing six more players on it Friday. With Andrews and Judon to be added as well, the Ravens will be at a minimum of 22 players ahead of their currently-scheduled game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday.

Judon, playing on the franchise tag this season, hasn’t quite put up the production many hoped he’d have. But the loss of Judon for a minimum of 10 days will be a major blow for Baltimore’s defense as he’s set to miss both Week 12 against the Steelers and Week 13 against the Dallas Cowboys. Through 10 games this season, Judon has four sacks, 17 quarterback hits, and 21 combined pressures.

On Monday, Judon took a very teammate-focused look at the pandemic.

“We all knew that us playing football would put us at a bigger risk. We knew we [could] obviously get the virus, and we all knew that this wasn’t something to be played around with,” Judon said on Monday, per the Ravens’ transcripts. “As it comes to our team and our teammates, you just hit them up and say, ‘I hope you feel better. I hope you’re doing well.’ You hope that they’re asymptomatic. You also think about their families, and you just keep those people in your prayers.”

[vertical-gallery id=56435]

Mark Andrews tests positive for COVID-10

The Baltimore Ravens’ COVID-19 outbreak continues on. With a list of 20 players already on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, the Ravens are set to add even more ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, …

The Baltimore Ravens’ COVID-19 outbreak continues on. With a list of 20 players already on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, the Ravens are set to add even more ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, tight end Mark Andrews has tested positive for COVID-19.

Andrews testing positive for COVID-19 is especially bad news because he has type-1 diabetes. While diabetics aren’t necessarily more likely to contract COVID-19, they face a higher chance of serious complications if they do get it, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Baltimore was already in a tough spot at tight end. The Ravens traded Hayden Hurst to the Atlanta Falcons this offseason and Nick Boyle suffered a season-ending injury against the New England Patriots. That left Andrews as the only tight end still on the 53-man roster. With Andrews on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, Baltimore now has yet another position on the 53-man roster without a player in the starting lineup, with even more having no depth behind a single starter.

Andrews has been quarterback Lamar Jackson’s best and most consistent weapon this season, making him the obvious favorite target. Over 10 games this season, Andrews has caught 38 passes for 454 yards and six touchdowns, which leads the team in every category.

[vertical-gallery id=56435]

Ravens place 6 more players on Reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday, including D.J. Fluker

The Ravens added six more players to the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday, including D.J. Fluker, making the offensive line even thinner

The Baltimore Ravens have not had a single day without a player and/or staff member testing positive for COVID-19. That trend continued on Saturday, marking the sixth consecutive day of the Ravens’ COVID-19 outbreak growing. According to the team’s Twitter account, they’ve placed the following six players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list:

  • OLB Jaylon Ferguson
  • OL D.J. Fluker
  • OL Will Holden
  • DT Broderick Washington Jr.
  • CB Tavon Young
  • CB Khalil Dorsey

Baltimore placed four more players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list Friday, bringing the total to 14 total players on the list prior to these latest additions.

Though players like Dorsey and Young were on injured reserve already, negating some of the impact it’ll have on the team immediately, that’s not the case with everyone. With Fluker and Holden going on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, Baltimore is really thin along an offensive line that is already dealing with two starters on injured reserve.

The NFL has already postponed Baltimore’s Week 12 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers twice and moved its Week 13 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys as well. With the Ravens continuing to see people test positive for COVID-19, it creates some doubt about Tuesday’s game against the Steelers.

 

Players who test positive for COVID-19 are held out a minimum of 10 days per the NFL’s protocols. Those that are considered a close contact during the league’s contact tracing following a positive test are held out a minimum of five days. Since the Ravens have been battling this outbreak all week, there’s the potential some players added early in the week could be eligible to play Tuesday against Pittsburgh. However, positive tests would not only miss Tuesday’s game but potentially miss Week 13’s game against Dallas as well.

[vertical-gallery id=56435]

Steelers player, coach test positive for COVID-19 Saturday

The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to be in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak of their own, seeing more people test positive Saturday.

The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers can’t catch a break this week. At the beginning of the week, the Ravens were firmly in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak, seeing multiple players and/or staff members test positive every day. Now with Baltimore hopefully starting to get their outbreak under control, it appears the Steelers are just starting one of their own.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala, Pittsburgh had multiple a player and coach test positive for COVID-19 on Saturday with multiple close contacts as well. The Steelers placed three players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday, bringing their total to four players. With an influx of new positive tests Saturday, that number will grow as tests are confirmed and contact tracing is done. The Ravens have 14 players of their own on the Reserve/COVID-19 list with more likely to be added in the coming days as those tests are confirmed.

The NFL has already rescheduled the Ravens vs. Steelers Week 12 game twice this week. Originally scheduled to play on Thanksgiving night, the game was moved to Sunday afternoon before being moved to Tuesday. With both teams continuing to see positive tests into the weekend, the NFL might have a tough decision to make about whether to play this game in spite of the outbreak or to switch to a backup plan of some type.

[vertical-gallery id=56435]

Ravens OL Will Holden tests positive for COVID-19 Friday

The Baltimore Ravens have had someone test positive for COVID-19 for the fifth consecutive day after another player tested positive Friday.

For the fifth consecutive day, the Baltimore Ravens have had someone test positive for COVID-19. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, offensive lineman Will Holden tested positive on Friday.

The Ravens officially have 14 players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list already and are expected to add more in the coming days as the dust settles. With this additional positive test, 13 total players have either tested positive for COVID-19 themselves or were labeled a “close contact” this week alone. With the addition of cornerback Iman Marshall and quarterback Trace McSorley, who tested positive over the last two weeks, Baltimore will have 16 players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

It’s unclear who the latest player to test positive is but Baltimore has already been hit hard on the starting lineup. Among those that have tested positive this week is defensive end Calais Campbell, running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram, centers Matt Skura and Patrick Mekari, and quarterback Lamar Jackson.

The NFL has already pushed this game back, moving it from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon. While the league hasn’t yet budged from the latest schedule, the Ravens continuing to have positive tests all week has to be putting some pressure on the NFL to find a backup plan. The Steelers canceled Friday’s practice as they await more information from the league and a decision about Sunday’s game. NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala said league officials are meeting later Friday to discuss the situation and that a decision could be coming in the coming days.

[vertical-gallery id=56435]

Ravens place 4 more players on Reserve/COVID-19 list, including Lamar Jackson

The Baltimore Ravens added four more players to the Reserve/COVID-19 list Friday, including QB Lamar Jackson

The Baltimore Ravens are quickly building a roster of players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. After having nine players already on the list, the Ravens added four more on Friday due to Thursday’s positive COVID-19 tests. According to Baltimore’s Twitter account, the Ravens added quarterback Lamar Jackson, fullback Patrick Ricard, defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, and long snapper Morgan Cox to the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Baltimore has seen players and/or staff members test positive for COVID-19 every day this week, starting with running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins on Monday. The continuation of the COVID-19 outbreak this week has forced the NFL to reschedule the Ravens’ Week 12 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers twice, while also moving the team’s Week 13 game against the Dallas Cowboys.

It’s unclear whether these four new players tested positive for COVID-19 themselves or if they were labeled as a “close contact” during contact tracing. The difference is huge in terms of football with those testing positive being held out a minimum of 10 days while close contacts are held out a minimum of five days. However, all four of these players will be unable to play against the Steelers on Tuesday but could potentially play against the Cowboys since that game has been rescheduled later.

[vertical-gallery id=56435]

Ravens vs. Cowboys Week 13 game rescheduled

With the Baltimore Ravens’ Week 12 game getting rescheduled to Tuesday, the NFL also moved the Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys Week 13 game too.

With the Baltimore Ravens continuing to have positive COVID-19 tests this week, the NFL has rescheduled their Week 12 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers twice now. That means the Ravens’ Week 13 game against the Dallas Cowboys — originally scheduled for Thursday — needed to be rescheduled as well. According to the NFL’s press release, Baltimore will now face Dallas on Monday, Dec. 7 at 5:00 p.m. ET, broadcast on FOX, NFL Network, and Amazon.

It’s been quite the calendar change for the Ravens this week. They were supposed to play the Steelers on Thanksgiving night, a rare holiday matchup for Baltimore. However, the Ravens saw several players test positive for COVID-19 between Monday and Wednesday, prompting the league to reschedule the game to Sunday afternoon in response. Unfortunately, Baltimore had more positive tests late in the week, forcing the NFL to reschedule the game once again, this time to Tuesday.

With the schedule change pushing the Ravens vs. Steelers matchup into next week, that created too short of a turnaround for Baltimore to take on Dallas on Thursday. That meant yet another schedule change, this time with Week 13’s game being pushed back as well.

While the frequent schedule changes are quite a lot to follow, the Ravens and NFL certainly aren’t out of the woods yet. Baltimore has had positive COVID-19 tests every day this week and the outbreak isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. If the Ravens continue to see players test positive over the weekend, Tuesday’s game wouldn’t be a lock to happen either.

The NFL has created a contingency plan in the event there are cancellations due to COVID-19, according to Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports. NFL owners unanimously voted for an expansion to the playoff format from 14 teams to 16 in the postseason if all meaningful games cannot be played in the regular season. That would seemingly be a last-resort scenario for the NFL but one that’s nice to have in the league’s back pocket if necessary.

[vertical-gallery id=47631]

Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Week 12 game rescheduled for Tuesday

With even more cases of COVID-19 late this week, the NFL has rescheduled the Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game for Tuesday.

After starting Week 12 expecting to play on a short week, the Baltimore Ravens will get an extra few days of rest. With the Ravens in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak that has seen players and/or staff members test positive every day this week, the NFL has decided to once again reschedule their Week 12 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the game is being moved from Sunday to Tuesday night. The decision can’t have been made lightly. The league had already postponed the game on Wednesday, moving it from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon.

Though there was hope this game could still be played as scheduled, Baltimore shut down its training facility until Monday at the earliest after seeing a minimum of 12 players either test positive for COVID-19 or be considered a “close contact” this week. With the outbreak seemingly not yet finished, there was little the league could do to keep players and staff members from both teams safe while still having a football game on Sunday.

[lawrence-related id=56489,56487,56452,56424]

The move will also impact the Ravens’ Week 13 game against the Dallas Cowboys that was originally scheduled to be played on Thursday. However, with Baltimore now playing on Tuesday, that game will undoubtedly be rescheduled as well, though a date hasn’t been set yet.

[vertical-gallery id=56435]

Steelers cancel Friday’s practice while waiting on COVID-19 information

With the Baltimore Ravens continuing to see players test positive for COVID-19, the Pittsburgh Steelers canceled Friday’s practice.

The NFL has continued with the stance that Sunday’s Week 12 game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers is going to happen as scheduled. However, with Baltimore continuing to have positive COVID-19 tests every day this week, Pittsburgh is taking some time off.

According to NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin canceled Friday’s practice as the team awaits more information about the Ravens’ COVID-19 struggles. Baltimore hasn’t practiced this week, holding a walk-through on Monday before shutting the team’s training facility until Monday at the earliest.

Kinkhabwala also said league officials are meeting later Friday to discuss the situation and that a decision could be coming in the coming days. There are few possibilities remaining for the NFL if Sunday’s game can’t be played as scheduled. The game could potentially be postponed to a later date or the Ravens could be made to forfeit. While the league likely would rather the game be played on Sunday, the continuation of Baltimore’s outbreak might force the decision for them.

[vertical-gallery id=56435]

Calais Campbell after positive COVID-19 test: ‘This virus is brutal’

After testing positive for COVID-19 this week, Baltimore Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell says “this virus is brutal.”

[jwplayer yG6YrAbC-ThvAeFxT]

The NFL hasn’t budged from the current schedule that has the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday. But as more Ravens players and staff members test positive for COVID-19, it puts pressure on the league to find a backup plan to the backup plan.

The NFL hasn’t adjusted the schedule often this season, having teams play days after suffering a COVID-19 outbreak. One such reason is the roster flexibility afforded by a 16-man practice squad, allowing teams to bring up practice squad players to play in the event those on the 53-man roster are put on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

One such player, Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell, tested positive for COVID-19 this week. He’s among the nine players currently on the Reserve/COVID-19 list with more expected to come in the following days. Campbell seemingly took offense to the idea the game should still be played at this point, replying to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero’s note on the subject.

The NFL has adjusted their COVID-19 rules this season, putting all 32 teams in the intensive protocol last week. Among the changes are mandates for players and staff members to wear N95 masks at specific locations, limitations to who can be at club facilities, and a reduction in who can travel with the team.

But even with the more intensive protocols, the Ravens have seen players and/or staff members test positive every day this week, forcing the league to postpone Thursday night’s game to Sunday afternoon. With there seemingly being no slow down in positive tests over the week, Sunday’s scheduled game is certainly no lock.

Everyone’s top priority should be the health and safety of the players and staff members. If there’s a chance someone is still sick or unknowingly has COVID-19 and could spread it to others, the NFL should have a solution with everyone’s health in mind. If a professional football player — arguably some of the most physically fit people in the world — is saying the “virus is brutal” from personal experience, that’s an indication of just how serious it is.

[vertical-gallery id=56435]