Jordan Mailata Removed from COVID-19 List
The Eagles’ reserve/COVID-19 list is now officially vacant after the team activated offensive lineman Jordan Mailata on Thursday morning.
Mailata was one of three players who landed on the list shortly after reporting to training camp last month, along with right tackle Lane Johnson and linebacker Nathan Gerry.
Gerry came off first followed by Johnson, who admitted to testing positive to the coronavirus.
Whether or not Gerry or Mailata ever did test positive isn’t known, because you don’t have to have a positive test to be placed on the COVID-19 list.
Head coach Doug Pederson also tested positive, but he returned to work on Wednesday.
As for Mailata, it has been a series of calamities for him since arriving off the Australian rugby playing fields as a seventh-round draft pick in 2018.
His first two seasons ended on IR due to back issues and now this season began with him on the COVID list.
At least he has been activated in time to try to earn a spot on the roster.
The Eagles have made it even more difficult for him this season after they drafted a pair of offensive tackles this past spring in Jack Driscoll and Prince Tega Wanogho.
“I’m always as honest as I can be,” said Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland when talking about Mailata on July 31. “I don’t want to lead you down the garden path, so I always try to tell you the absolute truth: I can’t answer that question right now.
Until I see him get on the field. I can say this: In the meetings that we have, in the virtual meetings, he was a completely different guy in the meetings. You’ll say, what do you mean? His confidence level, because we ask these guys to know a lot and convert blocking schemes, calls. Completely different in the meeting. Will that carry over to the field?
I pray every morning when I come here that it will happen. Do I think that will happen? Absolutely. But I can’t guarantee that. We’re going to find out. That’s what it’s all about.”
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