9 Seahawks, 1 assistant now in COVID protocol ahead of Rams game
Dec 20, 2021, 2:56 PM
Tyler Lockett had 142 receiving yards in the Seahawks' 31-7 win over the Jaguars. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
The good news? The Seahawks have no players listed on their final injury report ahead of Tuesday’s NFC West showdown with the Los Angeles Rams. The bad news? A handful of players and one position coach may not be at the game due to reasons related to COVID-19.
Who Seahawks’ defense needs to step up with Reed out
The NFL is in the midst of a surge in positive COVID tests, and while only one Seahawks player had tested positive positive for the virus since the start of the 2020 season prior to last week, Seattle has been heavily impacted over the last few days.
Not only was the Seahawks game against the Rams, which was originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon, postponed to Tuesday because of the Rams having 29 players at one point on the reserve/COVID list, but Seattle late last week placed star receiver Tyler Lockett and leading rusher Alex Collins on the list as well due to positive tests.
Then over the weekend, the Seahawks placed six more players on the reserve/COVID list in starting cornerback D.J. Reed, starting right tackle Brandon Shell, defensive end Kerry Hyder Jr., running back/core special teamer Travis Homer, practice squad cornerback Mike Jackson and practice squad offensive lineman Pier-Olivier Lestage.
Seahawks place 6 more on COVID list; Rams’ Ramsey cleared
On Monday, just a day before the game, the Seahawks announced that defensive tackle Bryan Mone was hitting the reserve/COVID list as well, bringing the total number of Seattle players on the list to nine. The team also announced that linebacker coach John Glenn tested positive and will not travel to Los Angeles for the game. Defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. will add Glenn’s duties to his plate Tuesday, the team said.
It is worth noting with Mone that the big defensive tackle’s status for Tuesday was already in question as he didn’t practice leading up to the game with a knee injury.
As for the Rams, they’ve activated a handful of players off the reserve/COVID list over the last few days and, as of Monday afternoon, have 18 players on the list, down from the high of 29 a few days ago. The most notable players still on the list for Los Angeles are pass rusher Von Miller, right tackle Rob Havenstein, safety Jordan Fuller and tight end Tyler Higbee.
The NFL has updated its testing policies and protocols for players who are vaccinated, have tested positive for COVID-19 and are asymptomatic with the hope that it will allow players to return to action sooner, but it’s unclear whether any of the Seahawks currently on the reserve/COVID list will be able to play on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Kickoff for Seahawks and Rams is set for 4 p.m. Tuesday on 710 ESPN Seattle and KIRO Radio 97.3 FM. Coverage begins on both stations with the pregame show at 1 p.m.
