Tag: reserve/COVID-19 list

T.J. Hockenson, Amani Oruwariye, Arryn Siposs removed from reserve/COVID-19 list

The Detroit Lions have removed T.J. Hockenson, Amani Oruwariye, and Aaryn Siposs from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Detroit Lions have removed T.J. Hockenson, Amani Oruwariye, and Aaryn Siposs from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Now that the trio of Lions’ are medically cleared from the COVID-IR, they will need to pass a physical at Allen Park and can then join the team’s strength and conditioning program which began last Monday.

After beginning the week with eight players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Lions removed Isaac Nauta on Monday, Justin Coleman and Matthew Stafford — who was removed after receiving a false-positive result – on Tuesday, Kenny Golladay on Wednesday, and three players today, leaving undrafted rookie safety Jalen Elliott as the only Lions’ player remaining on the list.

The Lions still have another three days left on their strength and conditioning program and are set to begin Phase 2 of training camp on Wednesday, working their way towards non-padded practices later in the week and padded practices the following week.

Stay tuned to Lions Wire as we continue to follow this daily-changing process.

Lions are NFL guinea pigs once again after Matthew Stafford’s false-positive result

The Detroit Lions are NFL guinea pigs once again after the Matthew Stafford false-positive result for COVID-19 saga.

The Detroit Lions are NFL guinea pigs once again after the Matthew Stafford false-positive test result for COVID-19 saga.

If the NFL has an obscure rule or situation, you can be sure the Lions will fall victim to exposing it. The list of situations in which the Lions have come out on the wrong end of is extensive — the Catch Rule in Chicago, the flag pick up in Dallas, 10-second runoff against the Falcons, the Jim Schwartz challenge flag on Thanksgiving, the Seahawks batting the ball out the back of the end zone on Monday night, etc. — I digress. Sorry for the reminders.

After Stafford received a false-positive COVID-19 test result last week and was forced to spend five days away from Lions training camp, it exposed another flaw in the league’s approach to testing.

Fortunately for the Lions, Stafford is fully healthy — as is his family — and this occurred in training camp, rather than the regular season making it a more manageable situation. But as MMQB’s Albert Breer pointed out, if “Stafford’s positive test came on Friday, Sept. 11, rather (than) Friday, July 31” there would be a much bigger problem as Stafford would have been unjustly forced to miss Week 1 of the regular season.

This situation raised enough red flags that the NFL and NFLPA went back into discussions to come up with a solution that would help prevent a false-positive test result from drastically impacting a team, while also keeping player safety as their top priority.

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert posted the entire memorandum of updates to the COVID-19 testing on social media, with the most important part of the memo highlighted here:

In Stafford’s situation, he received two negative results, then a positive (which turned out to be a false-positive), and that was followed by three more negative test results — but under the old rules he was still forced to remain out of Allen Park for five days.

Now, if that same set of circumstances happened again, a player with an established history of negative results, followed by a positive result and the player remaining asymptomatic, the player can theoretically return to the team’s facility after fewer tests and in fewer days (assuming testing is done in a timely fashion).

This is a step in the right direction for the league keeping players safe while not punishing teams for inaccurate testing results. As we continue to move through uncharted territories, more situations like this are bound to happen again — let’s just hope the Lions are done being the guinea pigs.

No Steelers players have given ‘strong considerations’ to opting out

As deadline approaches for players to opt-out of season due to COVID concerns, Steelers Mike Tomlin is unaware of any of players doing so.

The deadline for players to opt-out of the season is Thursday at 4 p.m. So far, no Steelers have opted out, and, according to head coach Mike Tomlin, none plan to do so.

Although James Washington and Jaylen Samuels were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier this week, Tomlin is not aware of any players planning to sit out the season.

“I don’t have any knowledge that anyone on our team has any strong considerations in that way,” Tomlin said Thursday in a press conference. “If that were the case like I mentioned earlier, that is a very individual decision, one that we all would understand, respect and adjust.”

“Secondarily, I don’t know that I’m extremely confident. I respect the challenges that these circumstances have presented to other leagues, some of which we’re witnessing. I think we’re all proceeding with caution and working extremely hard not to become part of that. We’ve got some people in leadership positions, Dr. [Allen] Sills and other medical professionals that have led the charge for us globally in the NFL. We’re working our tails off to adhere to it and hoping that is enough coupled with, obviously, personal decision making that needs to be exhibited continually by our guys throughout the course of this.”

So far, 60 players have opted out. The New England Patriots have the most with eight, including linebacker Dont’a Hightower and safety Patrick Chung.

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Jets LB James Burgess lands on Reserve/COVID-19 list

The Jets have placed James Burgess on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

The New York Jets have added another player to the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Jets linebacker James Burgess has landed on the Reserve/Covid-19 list. The Jets had already placed Bryce Hall, Shyheim Carter and Ahmad Gooden on the list.

Being placed on the list doesn’t necessarily mean Burgess contracted COVID-19. He could’ve just been exposed to someone with the virus. Burgess can be removed from the Reserve/COVID-19 list once he clears the protocols set by the NFL and NFLPA. For now, Burgess is technically not on the Jets’ active roster, so the Jets can sign someone in his place if they so choose.

Burgess played well in the 10 games he started in 2019. He recorded 80 total tackles, one safety, five pass defenses, one interception and one fumble recovery. Burgess could see plenty of playing time in 2020 with C.J. Mosley opting out due to COVID-19 concerns.

Falcons activate DT Tyeler Davison from reserve/COVID-19 list

The Falcons received more good news on Wednesday afternoon as defensive tackle Tyeler Davison was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Falcons received more good news on Wednesday afternoon as defensive tackle Tyeler Davison was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Davison was one of four players to come off of the NFL’s virus designation today, joining DB Jaylinn Hawkins, LB Foye Oluokun and QB Danny Etling back on the roster.

The remaining two Falcons on the list are CB Jamal Carter and FB Keith Smith. Atlanta’s roster number now goes up at 80 — which is where the team needs to be at by August 16.

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Lions remove Kenny Golladay from the reserve-COVID-19 list

The Detroit Lions announced they have removed wide receiver Kenny Golladay from the reserve-COVID-19 list.

The Detroit Lions announced they have removed wide receiver Kenny Golladay from the reserve-COVID-19 list.

Now that he is medically cleared from the COVID-IR, Golladay will receive a physical from team doctors at Allen Park and can join the team’s strength and conditioning program which began on Monday.

After beginning the week with eight players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Lions have removed Golladay, Justin Coleman and Matthew Stafford — who was removed after receiving a false-positive report on Saturday – yesterday, and Isaac Nauta on Monday, leaving the team with four players remaining on the list:

  • TE T.J. Hockenson
  • CB Amani Oruwariye
  • S Jalen Elliott
  • P Arryn Siposs

Players are still being tested, so this is a fluid list, but the Lions continue to move in the right direction in getting their players cleared and back on the field.

Stay tuned to Lions Wire as we continue to follow this daily-changing process.

3 Falcons players return from the reserve/COVID-19 list

The Falcons were given quite the scare last week as six players were placed on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list just a few days into 2020 training camp.

The Falcons were given quite the scare last week as six players were placed on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list just a few days into 2020 training camp.

Fortunately, the team announced on Wednesday morning that LB Foye Oluokun, DB Jaylinn Hawkins and QB Danny Etling had already been activated from the league’s new virus designation.

Etling isn’t likely to make the roster, but has shown some promise and can bring some competition to Atlanta’s No. 3 QB spot. Meanwhile, Oluokun is expected to play a big role this season starting next to MLB Deion Jones.

As for Hawkins, it’s unclear just how much of a role he’ll have as the Falcons have two quality starters at safety and one of the best backups in the league in Damontae Kazee.

Atlanta still has three players, DT Tyeler Davison, FB Keith Smith and CB Jamal Carter, remaining on the league’s reserve/COVID-19 list.

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Former Georgia QB Matthew Stafford’s COVID-19 test was ‘false positive’

Tuesday, the Detroit Lions revised their original report that QB Matt Stafford tested positive for COVID-19, details here.

Saturday, the Detroit Lions reported that star quarterback, former Georgia football star Matthew Stafford tested positive for the coronavirus.

However, in a revised report from the Lions on Tuesday, the organization stated that Stafford’s test was a ‘false positive’ and that he was removed from the NFL’s new ‘reserve/ COVID-19 list’.

The Lions had placed Stafford on the NFL’s new ‘reserve/ COVID-19 list’, making him the first starting quarterback to be placed on the list that was created for a player who either tests positive for COVID-19 or who has been quarantined after having been in close contact with an infected person or persons.

If a player falls into either of these categories, their club is required to immediately place the player on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Per agreed upon NFL-NFLPA policy, clubs are not permitted to comment on a player’s medical status other than referring to roster status. Clubs also may not disclose whether the player is in quarantine or is positive for COVID-19.

In Tuesday’s statement, the Lions ensured that Stafford does not have the virus and that he has received multiple negative tests on top of the original ‘false positive’ test.

Today we removed Matthew Stafford from the COVID-IR list and onto the Active Roster. As a result of a False-Positive test result, he was forced due to NFL/NFLPA protocols to sit out until he received two negative tests. His testing sequence for the Pre-Entry period was: negative, negative, False-Positive. The next three tests were all negative. To be clear, Matthew does NOT have COVID-19 and never has had COVID-19 and the test in question was a False-Positive. Also, all of Matthew’s family have been tested and everyone is negative.

In a statement posted on her Instagram account, Kelly Stafford expanded on how her family has dealt with the past week saying it was somewhat of a nightmare situation while blaming the NFL for the ‘false positive’ test.

Kelly concluded her post by saying their family is “absolutely fine and feeling great.”

“We are thankful for all those who called, texted, emailed and showed concern for Matthew and our family.”

 

Kelly Stafford details fallout after false-positive result, blames NFL for lack of accountability

After Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford received a false-positive COVID-19 test last Saturday, his wife Kelly took to Instagram to place blame on the NFL for lack of accountability.

After Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford received a false-positive COVID-19 test last Saturday, his wife Kelly took to Instagram and had some harsh words towards the NFL, blaming them for lack of accountability.

Over the weekend, the Lions placed Stafford on the reserve/COVID-list indicating he had either tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, was in close proximity of someone who had tested positive or had received a false positive test. Per NFL and NFLPA rules focusing on protecting a player’s privacy on health-related matters, they do not identify which category a player falls under.

Just hours later NFL Network’s Tom Pelliserro reported a source told him Stafford was asymptomatic followed up by a Monday report from Monday Morning Quarterback’s Albert Breer that Stafford did indeed test positive for COVID-19 — a report that was later proven incorrect.

Today, the Lions removed Stafford from the reserve/COVID-19 list and had some very stern words of clarity on the subject:

“To be clear, Matthew does NOT have COVID-19 and never has had COVID-19 and the test in question was a False-Positive. Also, all of Matthew’s family have been tested and everyone is negative.”

Not long after, Kelly Stafford took to Instagram to explain the stresses that were placed on the Stafford family during the last four days, the negative reaction from members in their community, and why she blames the NFL “for not holding itself accountable”:

The past four days have been somewhat of a nightmare. For 24 hours, we believed my husband was positive for covid.. We were all tested the day after and we were all negative including Matthew.. then he tested negative again, then again, again, and again.

After his second negative, we were made adware [sic] of the “false positives” and how this was one of those cases.

I have been losing my mind because of how my Family has been treated since my husband was put on COVID-IR.

Even after we knew it was false positive, our school told us they were not allowed back, I was approached in a grocery store and told I was “endangering others,” my kids were harassed and kicked off a playground, I was told I needed to wait in my car when trying to pick up food, and people closest to us had to get tested just so they could go back to work.. and that’s just to name a few things. I don’t blame these scenarios on any of the people directly involved.. I understand where they are coming from, but I do blame the @NFL.

I blame the @NFL for not holding themselves accountable. These are people’s lives and livelihoods that are in those results in THEIR test sites. Maybe we should be absolutely positive a person has covid before releasing that info to the world. I’m sharing our experience because I don’t want it happening to any other family that plays for this league.

We are thankful for those who called, texted, emailed and showed concern for matthew and our family. Your thoughts during this strange, difficult time are greatly appreciated.. but we are all absolutely fine and feeling great. Thank God for that.

Kelly would add this in the comments section:

“I would also like people to know.. if you saw me out and about after this, it was because we already knew it was a false positive. We would never chance endangering anyone with this virus. If we have learned anything in the past two years, it’s that we know the value of health and the health of others.”

Justin Coleman removed from reserve/COVID-19 list

The Detroit Lions announced that they have removed starting corner Justin Coleman from reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Detroit Lions announced that they have removed starting corner Justin Coleman from reserve/COVID-19 list.

Dave Birkett of the Free Press is reporting that Coleman was asymptotic after testing positive and that would line up with the shorter timeline of return. His next step is to receive a physical from team doctors at Allen Park and then he can join the team’s strength and conditioning program already in progress.

After beginning the week with eight players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Coleman joins Matthew Stafford — who was removed earlier in the day after receiving a false-positive report –, and Isaac Nauta yesterday, leaving the Lions still have five players remaining on the list:

  • WR Kenny Golladay
  • TE T.J. Hockenson
  • CB Amani Oruwariye
  • S Jalen Elliott
  • P Arryn Siposs