Tag: reserve/covid-19

Chiefs’ Travis Kelce, Harrison Butker, Charvarius Ward placed on Reserve/COVID-19 list

The #Chiefs are placing Travis Kelce, Harrison Butker and Charvarius Ward on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Kansas City Chiefs are placing TE Travis Kelce, K Harrison Butker and CB Charvarius Ward on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

These are just the latest players to enter the COVID protocols for Kansas City in recent weeks, joining Jody Fortson, Josh Gordon, Chris Jones, Willie Gay and Gehrig Dieter. It brings the total of players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list up to eight for Kansas City. Each of Kelce, Butker and Ward tested positive for the virus per reports.

Andy Reid spoke to the media earlier today, expressing optimism that Gordon, Gay and Jones would be available for Week 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Expect for there to be a shared optimism for these three players too.

One reason Kelce, Butker and Ward might be able to return ahead of the team’s Week 16 game against the Steelers is because of the NFL’s new return-to-play rules. Previously, vaccinated players needed two negative tests taken 24 hours apart in order to return to play. Now, players are only required to test negative once before they can be activated off the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Kelce currently has the second-most receiving yards and the second-most touchdowns behind Tyreek Hill. His presence on the field alone is a weapon that makes the Chiefs a better team. Should he be absent from the game it’d be a huge loss for the team.

Just last week, the Chiefs added kicker Elliott Fry to the practice squad in order to prepare for the potential of an absence for Butker amid the latest COVID-19 surge. That is looking like a wise move with Butker’s addition to the list.

Finally, Kansas City is probably best prepared to be without Charvarius Ward. He missed games earlier this season with a quad injury, and the team has generally had a lot of changes in the secondary this season. One thing that will help: The Chiefs are poised to get L’Jarius Sneed back this week after a two-week absence following the death of his oldest brother.

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Broncos activate three players from Reserve/COVID-19 list

Broncos QB Drew Lock has cleared COVID-19 protocol and will return to practice this week.

The Denver Broncos have activated quarterback Drew Lock, inside linebacker Justin Strnad and cornerback Michael Ojemudia from the Reserve/COVID-19 list, the team announced Saturday.

Strnad now returns to the 53-man roster, but Lock will be a roster exemption until later this week. Ojemudia has not yet been activated from injured reserve to the active roster, so he will remain on IR.

After activating those three players, the Broncos still have offensive lineman Austin Schlottmann on the Reserve/COVID-19 list and outside linebacker Pita Taumoepenu remains on the Practice Squad/COVID-19 list.

Schlottmann does not currently count against the 53-man roster and Taumoepenu does not count against the 16-player practice squad.

Denver’s offensive coordinator, Pat Shurmur, also missed the team’s last game because of COVID-19 protocol. The team has not yet announced if Shurmur is expected to return this week.

After a bye in Week 11, the Broncos will return to action in Week 12 when they host the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High.

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Broncos place Noah Fant on reserve/COVID-19 list, cut CB from practice squad

Noah Fant will not count against the Broncos’ 53-man roster while on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

In addition to completing a trade, the Denver Broncos also placed tight end Noah Fant on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday, according to the NFL’s transaction wire.

This gives Fant an uncertain status for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. If Fant is not cleared from the COVID protocol in time for Week 9, Albert Okwuegbunam will be in line to serve as the team’s top tight end.

Denver also has Eric Saubert and Andrew Beck available at tight end. Fant will not count against the 53-man roster while on COVID reserve.

The Broncos also released cornerback Rojesterman Farris from the practice squad on Tuesday. With Michael Ojemudia and Essang Bassey expected to return from their respective injuries soon, Denver is about to have more depth at cornerback, presumably making Farris expendable.

The Broncos also protected offensive Austin Schlottmann and linebacker Barrington Wade on the practice squad. Schlottmann and Wade will not be eligible to leave the team this week even if offered a spot on another team’s active roster.

Unprotected practice squad players are permitted to leave if offered a spot on another team’s 53-man roster.

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Jags OT Walker Little placed on Reserve/COVID-19 list

The Jag will be without Walker Little for at least a few days as he was placed on their Reserve/COVID-19 list Monday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that they place rookie left tackle Walker Little on their Reserve/COVID-19 list Monday. His addition to the list makes him the lone player on it at the moment, and he’s the first to go on it this regular season.

Little heading to the Reserve/COVID-19 list means he either tested positive for COVID-19 or came in close contact with someone that did. If he’s vaccinated, he could return within a matter of days at the earliest as it takes two negative tests that are 24 hours apart to return. If he’s unvaccinated, he will have to isolate himself for at least 10 days.

Little has yet to make his regular season debut, and the Jags have elected to make him inactive in Weeks 1-2. If Little is unvaccinated, he’d be guaranteed to miss their next game, too, which will be against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Jags selected Little with the 45th pick in the draft this April, and he’s a player they have high hopes for despite him being inactive this regular season. He at least received significant playtime in the preseason where he got multiple starts with Jags left tackle Cam Robinson temporarily out.

Latest update on Chiefs DB Tyrann Mathieu’s status for Week 1 vs. Browns

#Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo says “It’s up in the air right now” in regards to Tyrann Mathieu playing in Week 1 against the #Browns.

Kansas City Chiefs DB Tyrann Mathieu is set to miss his second consecutive practice ahead of Week 1, putting his game status in doubt for the season opener against the Cleveland Browns.

Mathieu was placed on Reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday, September 1, following a positive test. There was some optimism following Andy Reid’s update ahead of practice yesterday, but Mathieu remains in the league’s COVID-19 protocols.

It’s still unclear if Mathieu will be available for Kansas City on Sunday. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo emphasized that his unit is planning for multiple scenarios.

“It’s up in the air right now,” Spagnuolo said. “It’s a little bit challenging to gameplan for, but we’ve got Plan A and Plan B. We would handle it no different, obviously, than somebody getting hurt in the middle of the game. Guys have got to be ready to step up.”

Mathieu has been participating in team meetings via Zoom. Should the team not have Mathieu available to play, they’ll at least have the added benefit of a full practice week preparing other guys to fill in on the defense.

“The advantage we have, I guess, versus that particular scenario is that we’re practicing with guys that we think might have to play,” Spagnuolo said. “So, we’ll move guys around, do the things that we have to. [We’ll] try to do most of the things that we do with Tyrann but certainly, some of those things are going to change and some of the calls might alter because of that.”

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Andy Reid suggested that Tyrann Mathieu could play without practicing during the week. That’s not typical of Reid as he usually likes his players to get at least one practice in before playing in a game.

Spagnuolo wasn’t as convicted as Reid, but he also suggest that Mathieu could play without much practice preparation.

“We don’t know, right?” Spagnuolo replied. “But this dude, he’s a special guy in my opinion. So we’ll see, but I think we’ve got to be fair to him. We always say this: ‘Sometimes you’ve got to protect the players from themselves.’ So we’ll be careful there. Coach Reid and I have talked about it. We’ve talked about it with Rick. We’ll see where we are when the time comes.”

Mathieu still has a chance to practice on Friday, but for now, Spagnuolo anxiously awaits the results of tomorrow’s battery of COVID-19 testing.

“I don’t know that yet,” Spagnuolo said of Mathieu practicing on Friday. “We know it was one of the scenarios. We won’t know really, until tomorrow.”

The NFL’s latest rules require that a vaccinated player test negative for COVID-19 twice, 24 hours apart, before returning to action.

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Jags activate OG A.J. Cann off Reserve/COVID-19 list, waive Aaron Patrick

The Jags’ starting offensive line is now a step closer to being ready to take the field together as A.J. Cann is now back on the active roster.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ starting offensive line didn’t get to play a game together this preseason but are one step closer to doing so for their regular season opener. Guard A.J. Cann was activated off their Reserve/COVID-19 list Monday after being placed on it on Aug. 27, which occurred on the week leading into their last preseason game.

To make space for him on the roster, they waived pass-rusher Aaron Patrick.

The return of Cann was expected for the team as their staff has been saying that the starting offensive line would be ready for Sunday’s game. With him returning, Trevor Lawrence and the offense are getting back a player who has started in 90 games and garnered a Pro Football Focus grade of 69.0 last season.

Now, fans can turn their attention to the returns of center Brandon Linder (patella tendinitis), left guard Andrew Norwell (elbow), and left tackle Cam Robinson (ankle), that is if they haven’t all returned by now. All three missed the last two preseason games but could end up not surfacing on the Jags’ first injury report of the year, which will come out on Wednesday.

As for Patrick, the Jags signed him to their practice squad back in December of last year. It’s possible they could bring him back through their practice squad, but it was clear that subtractions were coming on the defensive side as they named only 21 offensive players to their initial roster.

Chiefs place DB Tyrann Mathieu on Reserve/COVID-19 list

Ahead of the start of the 2021 NFL season, the #Chiefs have placed DB Tyrann Mathieu on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have added a player to the Reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of the start of the 2021 NFL season.

According to multiple reports, DB Tyrann Mathieu is going on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. This is the result of a positive COVID-19 test per NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero. This is notable news with the Chiefs’ Week 1 game against the Cleveland Browns just 11 days away.

Under NFL rules, Mathieu can miss anywhere from 3-10 days based on his vaccination status and symptoms. If Mathieu is vaccinated, he can return to practice after two negative tests taken at least 24 hours apart so long as he is asymptomatic. If he is not vaccinated, there is a mandatory 10-day isolation period, one that would potentially put his Week 1 status in question.

The Chiefs have one of the highest rates of vaccinated players in the league. As of April, Mathieu hadn’t been vaccinated against the virus, but he said he had plans to do so in the future.

“I have not gotten my vaccination yet,” Mathieu said. “I’m hoping that I could do it soon. Obviously, it’s a choice for everybody involved. I think everybody has different perspectives on it. I think at the end of the day it’s all about trying to put yourself in the best position to live a healthy life going forward and then all the people around you. So I’m hoping I can get to that. We’re still kind of going through the process, me and my family, but I’m hoping we can do it.”

We can assume that Mathieu has since been vaccinated.

In a corresponding move, the Chiefs brought back WR Marcus Kemp, who was released during 53-man roster cuts on Tuesday.

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Jags activate Josh Allen off Reserve/COVID-19 list, waive CB Corey Straughter

The Jags have their best pass-rusher back and he’s now ready to take the field for their preseason opener agains the Texans.

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that edge rusher Josh Allen returned from their Reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday, which will make him available for the regular season. They also waived cornerback Corey Straughter as the team has to trim their roster down to 53 players by 4 p.m. EST on Tuesday.

Allen, who is expected to be the Jags’ top pass-rusher, was placed on Reserve/COVID-19 on Aug. 23. That resulted in him missing the trip to New Orleans last Monday and also gave K’Lavon Chaisson, Dawuane Smoot, and the rest of the Jags’ pass-rushers plenty of reps in their last two games.

According to the league’s COVID-19 protocols for 2021, vaccinated players won’t be subject to quarantine after a close contact situations, where as unvaccinated players who are in the same situation must isolate for five days.

Allen played in the Jags’ first preseason game against the Cleveland Browns and took 12 defensive snaps. He registered a tackle and had a key pressure in that game as well.

As for Straughter, he had participated in all of the Jags’ preseason games. He had two assisted tackles in the teams last game. If they want to continue developing him, the Jags could put him on their practice squad if he clears waivers.

Jags DE/OLB Josh Allen placed on Reserve/COVID-19 list

The Jags will be without one of their defensive leaders during their trip to New Orleans as Josh Allen was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Josh Allen didn’t make the trip with the Jacksonville Jaguars to New Orleans as the third-year pass-rusher has been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. The team made the announcement official Monday morning, just about 10 hours before their second preseason game with the Saints.

Allen’s designation on the list doesn’t necessarily mean he tested positive for the coronavirus, but could also mean he was in close contact with someone who tested positive. As a result, the Jags will now lean on a mix of K’Lavon Chaisson, Dawuane Smoot, Jordan Smith, Jihad Ward, and a few others to generate pressure on the edge.

Allen, who is one of the Jags’ leaders, is a player the staff has high hopes for in 2021, and hopefully, he’ll be able to get back on the field soon as the regular season is approaching. He started in last Saturday’s game (had 12 defensive snaps) where he was able to register a tackle and had a key pressure in the first half of the game.

With the Jags’ last preseason game taking place on Sunday and their first regular season game taking place on Sept. 12, Allen has plenty of time to get back on the field. In the meantime, we’ll be sure to provide everyone with any updates on Allen when the Jags resume practicing this week.

Jags activate safety Daniel Thomas from Reserve/COVID-19 list, waive CB Luq Barcoo

Thomas, who was a fifth round pick who flashed for the Jags last season, now has a chance to play in the team’s second preseason game against the Saints.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made some roster moves Thursday by activating safety Daniel Thomas from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. The team also waived cornerback Luq Barcoo alongside the decision.

Thomas was placed on Reserve/COVID-19 on Aug. 6, so he’s been on the list for nearly two weeks. Now, with his activation, he has a chance to play in Monday’s game against the New Orleans Saints and push for a roster spot.

At the moment, the Jags have Thomas as their No. 3 safety behind Rayshawn Jenkins and Andrew Wingard. He’s there at the No. 3 spot alongside Brandon Rusnak, so it appears a good performance could be needed to stick around through the next wave of cuts.

The Jags drafted Thomas last season in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He registered two starts and played in 10 games before going on injured reserve last November. He exited his rookie season with 18 combined tackles, and blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown.

As for Barcoo, the Jags signed him as an undrafted free agent out of San Diego State last season. He played in three games for the Jags and started in one and was able to accumulate 10 total tackles as a rookie.