Rams place safety Nick Scott, tackle Bobby Evans on COVID reserve list

A day after holding five players out of practice due to COVID-19 concerns, the Los Angeles Rams announced that offensive tackle Bobby Evans and safety Nick Scott have been placed on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list.

As a result, Rams head coach Sean McVay said both players will not be available for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.

Those two were among five players for the Rams that had to sit out practice on Thursday to await results from a second test after a player tested positive for COVID-19, McVay said.

The other three were outside linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, center Brian Allen and outside linebacker Justin Hollins.

Even though McVay could have them at the facility, McVay asked for those three players to not report to the team’s practice facility in Thousand Oaks on Friday as a precautionary measure, instead having them attend meetings virtually. However, McVay said all three players should be available for Sunday’s game.

Evans and Scott would be the first players for the Rams on the active roster to miss a game this season due to COVID-19. Evans serves as swing tackle on game days, so rookie Tremayne Anchrum would likely fill that role on Sunday.

Scott has been used in sub packages defensively and is a core special teams player. But with Scott unavailable, rookie safety JuJu Hughes would likely talk on a larger role.

McVay said the Rams will move the locker room and training room facilities to the team’s outdoor tent as precautionary measure.

“All things considered, when you look at the landscape of the league we’ve been very fortunate,” McVay said. “And this is very minimal when you see some of the ways these other teams have been impacted and how they’ve had to adjust, based on similar situations occurring.”

Four practice squad players for the Rams have been placed on reserve-COVID-19 list this year in outside linebacker Jachai Polite, tight end Kendal Blanton, defensive back Jake Gervase and receiver J.J. Koski. All four have been placed back on the practice squad.

The Rams had the first NFL player test positive for COVID-19 earlier this year when Allen announced that he tested positive back in April.

Left tackle Andrew Whitworth and his family also tested positive for COVID-19 this summer. And during training camp, rookie edge rusher Terrell Lewis and defensive lineman Michael Hoecht were placed on the reserve-COVID-19 list.

The Rams also had offensive lineman Chandler Brewer opt out of playing this season because of his battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma two years ago put him at high risk to the virus.