Tag: reserve/COVID-19 list

Chiefs activate WR Marcus Kemp from Reserve/COVID-19 list

The #Chiefs activated WR Marcus Kemp from the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday, also receiving a temporary roster exemption as they sort out the 53-man roster.

To kick things off following the bye week, the Kansas City Chiefs have activated their lone player who was on the Reserve/COVID-19 list this week.

According to the NFL’s official personnel notice, the Chiefs have activated WR Marcus Kemp to the 53-man roster from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Kemp was placed on the list back on November 18th ahead of the Chiefs’ tilt with the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11. The team elevated WR Daurice Fountain from the practice squad to replace Kemp during that game, primarily serving as a gunner on the special teams unit.

Kemp will be back in the fold for Week 13 against the Denver Broncos, which will be a boon to Dave Toub’s unit. Kansas City did receive a temporary roster exemption for Kemp that expires on December 1st. That means Kemp won’t count against the 53-man roster until then as the team decides how to proceed with their current roster.

There were no transactions to activate OL Kyle Long from the Reserve/PUP list, but the Chiefs still have one day to make a transaction there. When he spoke to the media earlier, Chiefs HC Andy Reid said they’d be making a decision on Long today.

The 53-man roster currently sits at 53 players so the team will need to make at least one transaction to clear space for Kemp when the roster exemption expires. Should they activate Long tomorrow, they’ll need to make an additional transaction to clear space there.

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Steelers COVID-19 issues continue with WR Ray-Ray McCloud

This is the third straight week the Steelers have had to place a player on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

For the third consecutive week, the Pittsburgh Steelers have placed a player on the NFL’s Reserve/COVID-19 list. This time around, it’s wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud.

In addition to being the Steelers’ primary kick returner, McCloud has 19 receptions for 141 yards.

Mike Tomlin said that he expects safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to return to practice this week. He’s been on the Reserve/COVID-19 list since November 15.

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Chargers DT Linval Joseph placed on reserve/COVID-19 list

The Chargers will be without the veteran nose tackle for the second consecutive week.

Chargers defensive tackle Linval Joseph was placed on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday after testing positive, according to head coach Brandon Staley.

Joseph missed Sunday’s victory over the Steelers with a shoulder injury, and now the team will be without him next weekend when they face the Broncos.

Because of the positive test and since he is unvaccinated, Joseph will be forced to stay away from the team for a minimum of 10 days.

Furthermore, Joseph was working out on the field prior to the game without a mask on. He was within six feet of several players and staff members, and he fist-bumped owner Dean Spanos on his way to the locker room, according to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.

Therefore, the status of those he was around will be closely monitored.

Joseph’s absence is a blow to the interior part of the defensive line, but Joe Gaziano, Breiden Fehoko, and Forrest Merrill showed capable of a formidable front on Sunday, holding Pittsburgh’s rushing attack to 3.1 yards per carry.

Jerry Tillery and Christian Covington, who missed Week 11 due to COVID-19, will be eligible to return.

Cowboys WR Amari Cooper out next two weeks on reserve/COVID list vs Chiefs, Raiders

Cowboys WR Amari Cooper out next two weeks on reserve/COVID list vs Chiefs, Raiders

Two games that were no doubt circled on this year’s schedule by former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden were the Bears game in week five and the game against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Those were the weeks Gruden was to face the two big name former top picks he traded away.

Week five, Gruden and the Raiders lost to Khalil Mack and the Bears in what would be Gruden’s final game as head coach before his forced resignation. That ensured Gruden wouldn’t be facing off against Amari Cooper and the Cowboys. But as of today, his former team will also not be facing ‘Coop’.

Today the four-time Pro Bowl receiver was placed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list. If he were vaccinated, that designation likely wouldn’t cost him any more than the Cowboys’ game against the Chiefs this Sunday. But he’s not vaccinated, which means not only will Coop miss the Chiefs game, he’ll also miss the next game against the Raiders on a short week, due to the NFL’s 10-day quarantine mandate.

Coop has averaged over 1100 yards and seven touchdowns the past three seasons and was on pace to do it again, with 583 yards and five touchdowns in nine games. He won’t be on pace for that anymore after two weeks out.

This would’ve been Cooper’s first game against his former team. He would undoubtedly love to have been able to show up big time against them. But decisions have their consequences. In this case, Coop decided not to get vaccinated against a deadly virus so…(sad trombone).

Cowboys WR Amari Cooper placed on COVID list, will miss Week 11 game vs Chiefs

The Cowboys’ WR1 could also miss the Thanksgiving rematch against his old Raiders team. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott will be without one of their most lethal weapons when they travel to Kansas City for their Week 11 game. Wide receiver Amari Cooper has been placed on the team’s Reserve/COVID list, according to the team website.

The timing of the roster move means he will definitely be ineligible to play Sunday. And due to the short week before the Thanksgiving Day game, Cooper is in serious jeopardy of also missing that contest, in which he was to face his old Raiders team. Cooper’s vaccinations status, which is not known, could even impact his availability for the Cowboys’ Week 13 game in New Orleans.

Cooper is currently second on the team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. As one of the few current Cowboys players who has experienced a game at Arrowhead Stadium, Cooper had just this week shared with his teammates some tips for dealing with the challenging and noisy environment.

“It is different than other spots. It gets pretty loud there,” Cooper said. “It is going to be a challenge for us, definitely with the noise.”

“It just depends on how well you can handle it as a team. I think we’ve been handling it pretty well as a team, especially with Dak recognizing the blitz, being able to get into the right situations and get the ball off on-time and stuff. We’ve been handling it well. I don’t think we’ve played a team that’s just blitzed as much as they do, so again, it’s going to be another challenge for us from that aspect as well.”

CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, and Cedrick Wilson will now be the top three pass-catching targets for Prescott in what is expected to be a high-scoring affair.

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Broncos add a quarterback, make several other roster moves

Broncos added some emergency depth at QB by signing Danny Etling to the practice squad. Denver also made several other roster moves.

The Denver Broncos signed a quarterback and made several other roster moves on Saturday, the team announced. Here’s a quick recap of the team’s recent transactions.

Broncos make 2 roster moves, activate Noah Fant from Reserve/COVID-19 list

Mac McCain III returns to the Broncos after spending two months with the Eagles.

The Denver Broncos made a pair of roster moves on Wednesday and activated tight end Noah Fant from the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Fant has cleared COVID-19 protocol, but he’ll get a two-day exemption before counting against the 53-man roster later this week.

In addition to welcoming back Fant, the Broncos also welcomed back cornerback Mac McCain III, who was claimed off waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday.

McCain (6-0, 175 pounds) signed with Denver as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina A&T in May. He went to training camp with the team this summer and performed well in preseason but did not make the Broncos’ initial 53-man roster.

McCain began the season on Denver’s practice squad before being signed to the Eagles’ active roster on Sept. 7. Philadelphia cut him this week with the hope of bringing him back on its practice squad, but the Broncos were able to add him off waivers. It may or may not be a coincidence that Denver will play against the Eagles this week.

The Broncos also signed cornerback Duke Dawson to their practice squad on Wednesday, one day after waiving him on Tuesday.

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Greg Zuerlein still in doubt; Cowboys to re-sign Lirim Hajrullahu

The Kosovo-born kicker was the Cowboys’ safety net in the preseason and again after Greg Zuerlein’s misses in Week 1. | From @ToddBrock24f7

For a guy whose job can be measured in threes, Lirim Hajrullahu is hoping the third time’s a charm in Dallas.

The Kosovo-born kicker is being signed by the Cowboys, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. It will mark the third time in less than 90 days that the specialist has been inked to a deal by the club.

News of the signing makes regular kicker Greg Zuerlein even more doubtful for Sunday’s home date against the Falcons. Zuerlein was placed on the Reserve/COVID list on Tuesday, and head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed reports that Hajrullahu would be one of two kickers given a tryout following Wednesday’s practice session to potentially replace him.

Brett Maher, the team’s kicker for 2018 and most of 2019, is said to have represented himself well during the audition. But after going 12-for-12 and being the team’s previous safety-net option- both during the preseason and again after Zuerlein struggled in Week 1- Hajrullahu will apparently once more suit up wearing the star.

Hajrullahu, a former CFL All-Star, booted two extra points in the team’s third preseason game versus Houston in August, but got no field goal chances. He was cut once Zuerlein had fully rehabbed from offseason back surgery.

But after Zuerlein missed a pair of field goals and a PAT in the season opener against Tampa, Hajrullahu was brought back onto the practice squad as insurance. Zuerlein went on to connect on all four of his kicks in Week 2, including the game-winning field goal as time expired; Hajrullahu was released two days later.

Zuerlein has not been ruled out for the Week 10 game as of yet, and McCarthy expressed optimism that he’ll be able to clear COVID protocols in time to play.

“Still hopeful Greg can hopefully, you know, potentially be ready,” McCarthy said during a Wednesday press conference. “I know it’s against the odds, but we’ll see how it goes.”

All signs, however, point to Hajrullahu making his NFL regular-season debut on Sunday.

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Cowboys place Greg Zuerlein on COVID list, to work out Brett Maher

The Cowboys were said to be holding kicker workouts on Wednesday; Zuerlein’s status and availability for Sunday is still not known. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Kicker Greg Zuerlein has been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, according to the Cowboys. As of Tuesday afternoon, it is not known if Zuerlein tested positive for the virus or was deemed a close contact of someone else who received a positive test.

Until the kicker’s exact status is made public, it is also unclear if he would be eligible to return to action before Sunday’s game versus the Falcons at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Zuerlein got no kicking opportunities in Week 9’s loss to Denver, save for three kickoffs. He missed a field goal in each of the two previous games, and two in the season opener. He is 14-of-18 on three-point tries, 21-of-23 on extra points for the season.

Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Cowboys would be looking at new options on Wednesday.

Currently, the Cowboys do not have a backup kicker. When Zuerlein was on injured reserve during training camp, the team brought in Lirim Hajrullahu for a short preseason stint. The former CFL All-Star was re-signed to Dallas briefly as special teams coordinator John Fassel assessed Zuerlein’s Week 1 troubles.

Brett Maher is reported to be one of the kickers being looked at. Maher played for Dallas in 2018 and for most of 2019, going 49-of-66 on field goals and 68-of-69 on PATs. Maher made multiple kicks of 60-plus yards as a Cowboy, but was released late in the 2019 season over accuracy issues.

Kai Forbath, who went 10-for-10 on field goals and 10-for-10 on extra points for the Cowboys during a three-game spell in 2019 (when he took over for Maher), is among the experienced NFL kickers not currently on a roster.

Fassel has said that punter Bryan Anger would be the team’s emergency kicker for an in-game situation. He’s also suggested that wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, defensive end Azur Kamara, and center Tyler Biadasz all have some degree of kicking skill, though the Dallas coaching staff is certainly not considering using any of them in an actual game if there is time to secure the services of a free agent specialist.

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Broncos place 2 more players on Reserve/COVID-19 list

Broncos added LB Justin Strnad and CB Michael Ojemudia to the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday. They join QB Drew Lock and TE Noah Fant.

The Denver Broncos seem to be having a mini battle with COVID-19.

Last week, the team was without tight end Noah Fant, backup quarterback Drew Lock and backup guard Netane Muti, who all missed Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys while on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Muti has since been cleared from COVID protocol, but the Broncos added two more players to the reserve list on Tuesday. Denver placed inside linebacker Justin Strnad and cornerback Michael Ojemudia on their Reserve/COVID-19 list, according to the NFL’s transaction wire.

Strnad had been promoting to a starting job after the team lost their top two inside linebackers, but he was benched two weeks ago. Ojemudia is still on injured reserve while recovering from a hamstring injury.

Strnad and Ojemudia will not count against the active roster (Ojemudia already didn’t), joining Lock and Muti on the reserve list.

Last year, the Broncos had 23 known players, coaches and staff members spend time away from the team because of COVID-19.

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