Three Players Come Off COVID list

Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux was among the three Miami Dolphins players who came off the Reserve/COVID-19 list Friday

The fluidity of the Reserve/COVID-19 list has been evident for the Miami Dolphins, and on Friday it involved three players coming off it.

Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, defensive end Shaq Lawson and rookie safety Brandon Jones all came off Reserve/COVID-19 list Friday, one day after Lawson and Jones were among six players put on it.

Godchaux had been put on the list Aug. 5.

The other four players put on Reserve/COVID-19 on Thursday were defensive tackles Raekwon Davis and Benito Jones, guard Solomon Kindley and wide receiver Kirk Merritt.

The Dolphins still have five players on the COVID-19 list, guard Ereck Flowers along with the four aforementioned players.

Flowers has been on the Reserve/COVID-19 list since Aug. 2.

The tally is now at nine Dolphins players who have come off COVID-19, including the three Friday.

The other six are Benito Jones (back on the list for a second time), rookie long-snapper Blake Ferguson, linebacker Jerome Baker, defensive lineman Zach Sieler, rookie Malcolm Perry and cornerback Cordrea Tankersley. Tankersley was waived after he came off the COVID-19 list.

The Dolphins also had two players opt out: wide receiver Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson.

As a reminder, this new reserve list category 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 may not disclose whether a player is in quarantine or is positive for COVID-19.

As of Aug. 6, the Dolphins' 14 players (including Jones twice) placed on the COVID-19 list represented the highest total in the NFL, according to figures compiled by SI AllCardinals publisher Howard Balzer.

When it comes to opt-outs, New England led the way with eight, including defensive starters Dont'a Hightower and safety Patrick Chung.

Another one was running back Brandon Bolden, who sandwiched his two stints with New England with one year in Miami. Bolden scored two touchdowns in the "Miracle in Miami" victory against the Patriots.