In Regards to Rams' COVID-19 Situation Improving While Seahawks' Worsens

In light of the NFL's decision to postpone the Seahawks and Rams' Week 15 matchup from Sunday to Tuesday, the latter has gotten healthier while the former's COVID-19 situation is worsening. Fair or not, no further delays will likely ensue because the league is simply running out of options.

The NFL is stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. While most Week 15 matchups have gone off without a hitch, three have been postponed to Monday and Tuesday, including the Seahawks' road battle with the Rams.

After 26 of Los Angeles' players were added to the reserve/COVID-19 list over the course of this past week, the decision to delay kickoff to Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. became easy for the league—not just for the sake of L.A. getting some of its players back, but to hopefully limit any further spread of the disease. Part of this has already been achieved as Rams running back Darrell Henderson Jr., receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, among others, have provided two negative tests and been subsequently re-activated. 

Unfortunately, on the day of the game's initial time slot, Seattle is heading in the other direction. Joining receiver Tyler Lockett and running back Alex Collins on the reserve/COVID-19 list is cornerback D.J. Reed, tackle Brandon Shell, running back Travis Homer, defensive end Kerry Hyder, guard Pier-Olivier Lestage and defensive back Mike Jackson. Sources tell Seahawk Maven's Corbin Smith that each player tested positive and is vaccinated, which means they can be activated at any point if they test negative twice within a 24-hour timeframe. 

Since the news of the Seahawks' most recent breakout became public, the sudden disadvantage they now face, paired with the anxiety of more positive diagnoses, has become a hot topic amongst fans. Many believe the Rams, despite following the NFL's guidelines on vaccinations, should be held responsible and punished for the situation since the volume of their cases far outweigh that of the Seahawks. But instead, they were granted a 47-hour postponement of the game in order to inch closer to form, whereas the league, for now, appears determined to stay on track for a Tuesday night kickoff no matter the shape Seattle arrives in.

This, however, is an exaggeration of the reality the league is faced with. There is no agenda or bias being placed on one side or the other; it's a simple matter of a lack of time. The NFL has shown an unwillingness to outright cancel games and, given that it's Week 15 and all teams have already enjoyed their respective bye weeks, the ability to postpone games beyond the week they were intended to be played is not feasible at this point. It would have major ramifications on the league-wide schedule, particularly when it comes to the playoffs, and a matchup between a 9-4 team and a 5-8 team is, frankly, too inconsequential in the grand scheme of things to make such drastic changes. 

Plus, players want to avoid cancellation or further postponement just as much as the league does. While the potential competitive disadvantage the Seahawks may be forced to deal with is unideal, the alternative of losing out on game checks or limiting rest days in between games this late in the season is a far less appealing option to those directly involved. Unless Seattle's COVID situation balloons in the hours leading up to kickoff, this game will be played. 

In the end, even if the game had remained scheduled for Sunday afternoon, the cases and activations that have come about this weekend would have still occurred and put both teams in the same position they currently find themselves in. And while the majority of concern has now shifted towards the Seahawks, the Rams are not out of the woods yet either; on Saturday, they placed tackle Joseph Noteboom and cornerback Robert Rochell on the reserve/COVID-19 list. 

This is just the reality of the NFL and the world we inhabit right now. Fair or not, Seattle may wind up getting the short end of the stick in this situation and there's nothing it can do about it. Both organizations have followed league protocol and done everything that has been asked of them, but these unfortunate circumstances can still occur. Essentially, no one is at fault and no one should be punished by anything other than the nature of the situation. 

At this point, it's just a matter of who can navigate it the best, and the NFL is going to do everything in its power to achieve its ultimate goal: completing the season one way or another.