COVID-19 cases slowing, several players missed 10-plus days
As NFL teams begin a five-day period of, essentially, OTAs this past week, reserve/COVID-19 cases have slowed significantly.
From Friday through Sunday, there were only five players placed on the list with two each the first and last day of the weekend and none Saturday. During that period, there were 23 players activated with two then waived: Buccaneers running back Aca’Cedric Ware Friday and Vikings guard Tyler Higby Sunday.
That brings the total to 105 placed on the coronavirus-induced reserve list with 74 activated and five waived.
The Dolphins (14), Jaguars (12) and Lions (eight) have accounted for 31.4% of the reserve/COVID-19 cases. The only Detroit player not activated yet is safety Jalen Elliott, while the only one from the Dolphins is guard Ereck Flowers. Miami has technically had 13 players on the list, but defensive tackle Benito Jones has been on it twice.
The Jaguars still have three players on reserve: tackle Ryan Pope, running back Ryquell Armstead and guard Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms.
What’s potentially troubling around the league is that 21 players still on reserve have been on the list for at least 10 days. Overall, the 31 players currently on reserve have missed 304 days, an average of 9.8. The 21 noted above have been on for 255 days, a 12.1 average.
The 105 total players missed a total of 786 days, an average of 7.5.
The Packers have placed five players on the list and none have been activated. Linebacker Greg Roberts (13), tight end Jace Sternberger (11), kicker Mason Crosby (11), defensive tackle Treyvon Hester (11) and long snapper Bradley Hunter (7) have been on the list for a total of 53 days. Eagles tackle Lane Johnson has missed 12 days.
One of the two players placed on reserve Sunday, wide receiver John Ursua, was the first for the Seahawks.
Arizona, Carolina, Houston, the Los Angeles Chargers and New England have not had any players placed on reserve/COVID-19.
Eleven teams have had players on reserve, with all of them subsequently activated: Buffalo and Cleveland (5); Chicago and Tampa Bay (3); Dallas, New Orleans and San Francisco (2); and Baltimore, Cincinnati and Washington (1).
In addition, , 47 players have been placed on active/PUP, with 13 passing a physical and another being waived; 30 players were placed on active/NFI, nine of whom passed physicals.
Nine were placed on active/non-football illness with seven passing physicals. One of whom was then waived and one, Cardinals tackle Marcus Gilbert, opted out.
Here is a team-by-team look through Sunday based on what has been reported officially to the league office:
Arizona: 1 opt-out, 2 illnesses (both passed physical)
Atlanta: 7 COVID-19 (4 activated); 1 illness (passed physical)
Baltimore: 2 opt-outs, 1 COVID-19 (activated), 1 PUP, 1 NFI
Buffalo: 2 opt-outs, 5 COVID-19 (all activated), 1 PUP, 1 NFI
Carolina: 2 opt-outs, 1 PUP (passed physical), 1 illness (passed physical)
Chicago: 2 opt-outs, 3 COVID-19 (3 activated)
Cincinnati: 2 opt-outs, 1 COVID-19 (activated), 3 PUP (2 passed physicals), 4 NFI (1 passed physical)
Cleveland: 5 opt-outs, 5 COVID-19 (4 activated), 3 PUP (all activated), 1 NFI (activated)
Dallas: 3 opt-outs, 2 COVID-19 (both activated), 2 PUP
Denver: 2 opt-outs, 1 COVID-19, 1 PUP (passed physical), 1 NFI (passed physical)
Detroit: 3 opt-outs, 8 COVID-19 (7 activated), 1 PUP, 1 NFI
Green Bay: 1 opt-out, 5 COVID-19, 2 PUP, 2 NFI
Houston: 1 opt-out, 2 PUP
Indianapolis: 3 opt-outs, 2 COVID-19, 3 PUP (1 waived), 2 NFI
Jacksonville: 3 opt-outs, 12 COVID-19 (7 activated), 2 PUP (1 passed physical), 1 NFI (passed physical), 1 NFIllness
Kansas City: 3 opt-outs, 1 COVID-19 (activated, then waived), 2 PUP, 1 NFI
Las Vegas: 3 opt-outs, 3 COVID-19 (1 activated), 1 PUP, 1 illness (passed physical, then waived)
L.A. Chargers: 1 NFI, 1 illness (passed physical)
L.A. Rams: 1 opt-out, 2 COVID-19 (1 activated), 1 NFI
Miami: 2 opt-outs, 14 COVID-19 (1 on twice, 13 activated/1 waived), 1 NFI (passed physical)
Minnesota: 1 opt-out, 9 COVID-19 (7 activated, 1 subsequently waived), 1 PUP, 2 NFI (passed physicals)
New England: 8 opt-outs, 3 PUP (1 passed physical)
New Orleans: 2 opt-outs, 2 COVID-19 (both activated), 2 PUP
N.Y. Giants: 3 opt-outs, 2 COVID-19 (2 activated), 2 NFI (1 passed physical), 1 illness (passed physical)
N.Y. Jets: 3 opt-outs, 4 COVID-19, 3 PUP, 1 NFI
Philadelphia: 1 opt-out, 3 COVID-19 (1 activated), 2 PUP
Pittsburgh: 4 COVID-19 (1 activated, then waived)
San Francisco: 3 opt-outs, 2 COVID-19 (both activated, 1 on NFI), 5 PUP (2 passed physicals), 3 NFI.
Seattle: 1 opt-out, 1 COVID-19, 1 PUP, 3 NFI.
Tampa Bay: 1 opt-out, 3 COVID-19 (all activated), 1 PUP
Tennessee: 1 opt-out, 1 COVID-19 (1 activated), 2 PUP (1 passed physical)
Washington: 2 opt-outs, 1 COVID-19 (activated), 2 PUP (1 passed physical), 1 NFI
