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Jaguars PS Player Tests Positive For COVID-19

October 17th, 2020 at 8:30am CST by Ben Levine

The Jaguars announced that a player on their practice squad has tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, the team will be holding virtual meetings today, and their game against the Lions tomorrow is still expected to be played.

“Last night, we received results from our daily PCR testing that revealed an individual on our practice squad tested positive for COVID-19,” the team said in a statement. “After confirming the positive test, our organization began working with the NFL to review contact tracing data while the player self-isolated.

“As a precautionary measure for today, we made the decision to conduct our football activities remotely while following the NFL protocols and recommendations. This decision was made in consultation with the NFL and the team’s medical advisors. The health and safety of our players, coaches and staff, as well as their families, as our top priority.”

NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that every member of the organization received rapid-result tests this morning.

While the news isn’t great in Jacksonville, it’s a bit better in New England. ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports that the Patriots opened their team facility on Saturday. The Pats join the Colts and Falcons among teams that have reopened facilities over the past 24 hours. New England canceled practice on Friday after another player tested positive for COVID-19.

Patriots Place C James Ferentz On Reserve/COVID-19 List

October 16th, 2020 at 2:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite the Patriots canceling their Friday practice, their game against the Broncos remains on schedule for noon CT on Sunday. New England, however, will not have its current starting center for that contest.

The Patriots are placing James Ferentz on their reserve/COVID-19 list, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Pats canceled their Friday workout after another positive test. It is not certain if Ferentz tested positive, with players not having to do so to be placed on the COVID list, but this is another setback for the team and a concern for the league.

Ferentz started New England’s Week 4 game in Kansas City for David Andrews, who resides on the Pats’ IR list. While the Patriots are slated to have Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore back in Week 6, the former will play behind a reconfigured line. Ferentz, a former Bronco in his fourth season with the Patriots, has played in 18 games with his current team and started three.

The Pats placed Andrews on IR in late September; Andrews missed all of last season due to a blood clot issue. New England could use guard Joe Thuney at center and play versatile rookie Michael Onwenu at left guard. Onwenu has already seen action at both guard spots and right tackle, despite being a sixth-round pick. Right guard Shaq Mason got in two limited practices this week. Mason missed Week 4 with a calf injury.

Both the Patriots and Broncos have been informed the game is still on for Sunday, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com notes no contingency plan currently exists (Twitter link). Were the NFL to delay this game again, no bye week-related fix can be made. The league already postponed this game one week. This obviously remains a situation to monitor over the next two days.

Patriots Cancel Practice Due To COVID-19 Positives

October 16th, 2020 at 11:56am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots canceled Friday’s practice after another player tested positive for COVID-19, a source tells NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). They’ve also received another positive on the team, though that test is being rechecked to confirm.

The Pats are going ahead with virtual meetings today, but Sunday’s game against the Broncos is now in flux. That game, of course, was already delayed one week due to previous Patriots positives. Both teams have already burned their bye weeks, so it would be difficult to reschedule the games to be played any later than Monday or Tuesday. Unfortunately, playing the game early next week won’t be an option if the Patriots are not quickly cleared from coronavirus protocols.

Meanwhile, the Colts announced that their previously reported four positives have come back negative after being re-tested. Their game against the Bengals will go on as planned. The Patriots will keep their fingers crossed for a similar outcome. Meanwhile, the league has launched an investigation into their recurring testing issues, which have brought back a number of false positives throughout 2020.

Stephon Gilmore Returns To Practice

October 15th, 2020 at 5:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots are set to have both Cam Newton and their top defender back Sunday when they host the Broncos. Stephon Gilmore was back at Pats practice Thursday, having returned from his stay on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list.

Newton and Gilmore each tested positive for the coronavirus, and these results led to the NFL postponing Week 5’s Denver-New England game to Week 6. Gilmore learned he tested positive Oct. 7. Two more Patriot players tested positive following the stars’ results. But both standouts are on track to return. In Gilmore’s case, he will be eligible to come back after not missing a game. Newton, who also returned to practice Thursday, missed the Pats’ Week 4 contest in Kansas City.

Gilmore helped the shorthanded Patriots stay close to the Chiefs for a while in their Week 4 loss. Last season, the former first-round pick intercepted six passes and became the first cornerback to win the defensive player of the year award in 10 years. The 30-year-old defender remains the anchor of New England’s top-flight secondary and received a pay bump earlier this year.

The Pats did not practice Wednesday but returned to their facility Thursday. After their game against the Broncos was rescheduled three times, it is currently slated to start at noon CT Sunday.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/14/20

October 14th, 2020 at 5:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

New England Patriots

  • Signed off Jaguars’ practice squad: DL Carl Davis

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Patriots Activate Cam Newton Off Reserve/COVID-19 List

October 14th, 2020 at 3:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

3:49pm: Newton is on track to be back this week. The Patriots activated their QB1 from their reserve/COVID-19 list.

2:59pm: The Patriots seeing their Week 5 game against the Broncos delayed to Week 6 may well allow them to have their starting quarterback on the field. Cam Newton is expected to practice Thursday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Newton learned Oct. 3 he tested positive for COVID-19, shelving him for Week 4 and delaying that Patriots-Chiefs game a day. The Pats then saw All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore and practice squad defensive tackle Bill Murray test positive. Another positive test prompted the NFL to move the Pats’ Week 5 game, which would have featured Jarrett Stidham starting for New England.

The Pats will only have two days of full practices this week; they will not return to work until Thursday. Newton had yet to test negative for two straight days, a requirement to return to practice, as of Sunday morning. The new Patriots quarterback has navigated that part of the protocol and will be back in uniform. Newton was believed to be asymptomatic.

Prior to his coronavirus-induced hiatus, Newton had rewarded the Pats on their offseason move. Despite arriving in late June, Newton helped the Pats to two wins, had completed 68% of his passes and averaged 49.1 rushing yards per game. The Patriots only needing to play one game without Newton would obviously be a boon to their chances at returning to the playoffs, though the former MVP will also need to stay healthy — something he has not done since his 2015 MVP season — to maximize his new team’s chances at securing postseason entry for the 12th straight season.

No New COVID-19 Positives For Titans

October 13th, 2020 at 9:52am CST by Zachary Links

Tonight’s Titans-Bills game will go on as (re-)scheduled. Monday’s round of COVID-19 testing yielded no new positives, clearing the way for their Tuesday Night Football matchup. Ditto for the Chiefs and Patriots (Twitter links via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero).

Over the weekend, one Titans staffer tested positive for the coronavirus, though that person had not been at the team facility for roughly two weeks. Since the staffer has not been in contact with other players, coaches, or executives, the Titans still had the green light to play, pending Monday’s test results. The Titans also got some more good news on Tuesday morning – wide receiver A.J. Brown is good to go after healing up from his bone bruise, per Paul Kuharsky (on Twitter).

The Patriots were asked to nix in-person activities after their flare-up, but they should be able to get back to the practice field on Wednesday. There’s no official word yet, but there’s hope that the Patriots will be able to face the Broncos on Sunday. The two teams were originally scheduled to play last Sunday, then slated for Monday night, before being bumped to Week 6.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/12/20

October 12th, 2020 at 4:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

2021 NFL Draft Order

October 12th, 2020 at 11:57am CST by Zachary Links

With most of Week 5 in the books, we bring you a way-too-early look at the current order for the 2021 NFL draft. For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2020 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. After that, the same goes for the six clubs eliminated from each round of the postseason, with the final two picks determined by the outcome of the Super Bowl.

Here’s where things stand in the race to the bottom:

  1. New York Giants (0-5)
  2. Atlanta Falcons (0-5)
  3. New York Jets (0-5)
  4. Washington Football Team (1-4)
  5. Minnesota Vikings (1-4)
  6. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4)
  7. Miami Dolphins (via Houston Texans, 1-4)
  8. Los Angeles Chargers (1-3)
  9. Detroit Lions (1-3)
  10. Denver Broncos (1-3)
  11. Philadelphia Eagles (1-3-1)
  12. Cincinnati Bengals (1-3-1)
  13. Miami Dolphins (2-3)
  14. San Francisco 49ers (2-3)
  15. New Orleans Saints (2-2)
  16. New England Patriots (2-2)
  17. Arizona Cardinals (3-2)
  18. Indianapolis Colts (3-2)
  19. Dallas Cowboys (2-3)
  20. Carolina Panthers (3-2)
  21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)
  22. Las Vegas Raiders (3-2)
  23. Kansas City Chiefs (4-1)
  24. Cleveland Browns (4-1)
  25.  Chicago Bears (4-1)
  26. Baltimore Ravens (4-1)
  27. Jacksonville Jaguars (via Los Angeles Rams, 4-1)
  28. Tennessee Titans (3-0)
  29. Green Bay Packers (4-0)
  30. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-0)
  31. Buffalo Bills (4-0)
  32. New York Jets (via Seattle Seahawks, 4-0)

Patriots, Titans Close Facilities Again; Pats-Broncos Rescheduled

October 11th, 2020 at 12:17pm CST by Rory Parks

12:17pm: We have an update on Cam Newton to pass along. According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, Newton has yet to return the two consecutive negative tests required to return to action (video link). But now that the Pats’ game against the Broncos has been pushed to next week, he will have more time to get right.

10:37am: Assuming the Titans are able to play on Tuesday, the Broncos and Patriots will indeed play each other next Sunday, as Schefter tweets. The Broncos and Chargers will then play each other in Week 8, which was supposed to be when Denver had its bye, and the Dolphins will now play the Broncos in Week 11. However, the Jaguars have now been impacted by this mess, as they were supposed to play the Broncos in Week 8. So there is still more rearranging to be done.

08:35am: The Patriots had one new positive COVID-19 test this morning, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). It was a player who tested positive, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says that player was starting DT Byron Cowart. The team’s facility has been shut down again, more testing is being done, and Cowart will be placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list today.

Meanwhile, the Titans released a statement indicating that a coach tested positive. Their facility has been shut down as well, but as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports, that coach hasn’t been in the building for nearly two weeks (video link). As such, his positive test might be unrelated to the outbreak that has plagued the team, and contact tracing is being done as we speak.

New England and Tennessee just returned to their facilities yesterday after two consecutive days of negative tests. The Pats’ game against the Broncos this week had been pushed to Monday, and the Titans’ contest against the Bills was rescheduled for Tuesday, but now the Broncos-Patriots matchup has been moved to next Sunday (Twitter link via Schefter). New England and Denver will have their byes this week, and the league will need to reschedule the Broncos-Dolphins game that was originally slated for next week.

We heard several days ago that new positive tests were expected on the Patriots and Titans given the results of contact tracing on both clubs. The league was clear that additional positives would not necessarily mean the cancellation of games, and initial reports this morning indicated that the NFL still planned to move forward with Broncos-Pats tomorrow (Twitter link via Schefter).

However, a decision needed to be made quickly given that the Broncos were scheduled to make a cross-country flight to Foxborough today. Plus, Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston says the Pats were not going to let the league compel them to play, and that if players and coaches are uncomfortable, they will not play (Twitter link).

Given the on-going contact tracing taking place within the Tennessee organization, there is not yet an official word from the league as to the Titans-Bills game. Since the Titans have already lost their bye week, the NFL will presumably want to move forward with that contest. Even if that happens, though, it seems that a Week 18 for rescheduled games around the league is becoming more and more realistic.

As always, we will keep you updated as soon as we have more to pass along.

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