NFL COVID List Updates: 12/25-12/26/21
We’ve compiled a list of players who were placed on or activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Christmas and today. In some instances, players activated from the list remain on IR:
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Tyeler Davison
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Sammy Watkins
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Justice Hill, QB Tyler Huntley
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Dion Dawkins
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Derrick Brown
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Rashaan Melvin, WR Brandon Zylstra
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Chidobe Awuzie
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Wyatt Ray, NT D.J. Reader
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Alex Taylor
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Shemar Jean-Charles, CB Kevin King
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: LB La’Darius Hamilton
Houston Texans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Terrence Brooks, LB Christian Kirksey, DE Jacob Martin, C Justin McCray, DB Terrance Mitchell
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Darius Leonard, WR Zach Pascal, DB Khari Willis
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Jordan Smith, LB Myles Jack
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Nick Bolton, WR Tyreek Hill, TE Travis Kelce, T Lucas Niang
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Nate Hobbs
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Bryan Edwards, QB Marcus Mariota
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Mike Williams, RB Austin Ekeler
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Andrew Whitworth
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: G Solomon Kindley, WR Albert Wilson
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Sean Mannion, T Rashod Hill
New England Patriots
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Kendrick Bourne
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Deatrich Wise
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Carl Granderson, WR Deonte Harris, T Jerald Hawkins, DB KeiVarae Russell, DL Malcolm Roach
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Cam Brown
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DB Natrell Jamerson
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: NT Danny Shelton, T Nate Solder
New York Jets
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Quinnen Williams
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: DE Jabari Zuniga
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Shaun Bradley
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Steven Sims
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Kerry Hyder
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Blessuan Austin
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: G Nate Davis
Washington Football Team
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: RB Wendell Smallwood, K Joey Slye
Saints Rookie Carl Granderson Released From Jail, Reinstated
The Saints signed defensive end Carl Granderson as a UDFA in May and gave him a hefty guarantee despite the fact that he had a pending trial for sexual assault charges in July. His attorney and prosecutors reached a plea deal whereby Granderson would have served one year of probation, but a Wyoming judge went against the plea deal and ordered that Granderson immediately begin serving a six-month jail sentence. The Saints subsequently placed Granderson on the Did Not Report list.
Granderson’s attorney moved the court for a reconsideration of the sentence, and as Herbie Teope of NOLA.com reports, a different judge granted the motion. Granderson has been released and will need to serve one year of probation, but he is allowed to join the Saints. Teope — who says the team did a great deal of due diligence on the matter before signing Granderson — also notes that Granderson was reinstated with an Exempt/Commissioner Permission designation. He will not count against the team’s roster for now, and New Orleans will have two weeks to decide what to do with him.
It seems likely that the club will find a place for him on the 53-man roster given the financial commitment to him and given his talent. He almost certainly would have been drafted if not for his legal situation, and he could become a useful part of the Saints’ front seven this year.
As Teope observes, Granderson is not subject to league discipline as the incident that gave rise to the assault charges occurred before Granderson was in the league.
Saints Place Carl Granderson On Did Not Report List
The Saints placed defensive end Carl Granderson on the did not report list, per a team announcement. In a related move, they also placed receiver Emmanuel Butler on the non-football injury list.
Granderson agreed to plea no contest to one count of sexual battery and one count of unlawful contact and was set to serve out a year of probation after striking a plea deal. The judge did not agree with that compromise, however, and ordered him to immediately begin serving a six-month jail sentence in Wyoming.
Granderson, naturally, is not expected to play this season. The Wyoming product is a talented player who almost certainly would’ve been drafted if not for his legal situation. Many analysts gave Granderson a mid-round grade and the Saints gave him a hefty $85K to sign as an undrafted free agent this offseason.
Saints’ Carl Granderson Sentenced To Jail
Saints rookie defensive end Carl Granderson has been sentenced to six months in jail, according to The Casper Star-Tribune. Initially, Granderson was set to serve a year of probation, but a Wyoming judge went against the plea deal reached by prosecutors and Granderson’s attorney.
The Saints signed Granderson as an undrafted free agent despite his pending trial, but this sentence will completely rule him out for the 2019 season. It’s likely that Granderson will be released soon, with another player replacing him on the 90-man roster.
The Wyoming product is a talented player who almost certainly would’ve been drafted if not for his legal situation. Many analysts gave Granderson a mid-round grade and the Saints gave him a hefty $85K to sign this offseason.
Saints Sign 14 UDFAs
The Saints became the latest team to announce their undrafted free agent class, inking 14 players. A couple received notable signing bonuses:
- Carl Granderson, DE (Wyoming) ($15,000 signing bonus, $70,000 base salary guaranteed, per Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com. )
- Ethan Greenidge, OT (Villanova) ($7,500 signing bonus, $30,000 base salary guaranteed, per Katzenstein)
- Nick Moore, LS (Georgia)
- Porter Gustin, LB/DE (USC
- Lil’Jordan Humphrey, WR (Texas)
- Derrick Kelly, OT (Florida State)
- Darnell Holland, RB (Kennesaw State)
- Jake Powell, TE (Monmouth)
- Darrell Williams, LB (Auburn)
- Emmanuel Butler, WR (Northern Arizona)
- Chase Hansen, LB (Utah)
- Mike Herndon, OG (Pittsburgh)
- Corbin Kaufusi, DE (BYU)
- Darius Williams, DB (Colorado State-Pueblo)
New Orleans gave Granderson, the Wyoming pass-rusher, a hefty sum of $85K guaranteed. Granderson is a talented player who almost certainly would’ve been drafted if not for his ongoing legal situation. Many analysts gave Granderson a mid-round grade, but he’s facing a July trial on sexual assault charges. Granderson has denied the charges, and it will be a situation worth monitoring this summer.
Greenidge also got significant guarantees, and the Saints could view him as a good longterm developmental option on the offensive line. Gustin was another player many thought had a chance to be drafted, and he was productive in college. In just six games at USC last season, he had 7.5 sacks. He’s struggled with injuries each of the past two seasons, but if he can stay healthy he should have a good shot at making the team.
The Saints sometimes struggled for consistent receiving options behind Michael Thomas last year, and Humphrey had 1,176 yards and nine touchdowns for Texas last season, so he could be worth a look.