More than 100 players have already landed on the COVID/reserve list ahead of Week 17 games, and there were 96 positive tests alone on Monday, a new high for a single day.
At the start of Week 16, more than 200 players were on the COVID/reserve list. At the beginning of Week 17, various players are being activated, but dozens more are being put into the league’s protocols. One of the bigger names to go on the list in Week 17 is Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans. The Bucs were already dealing with a significant loss to their offensive unit, as running back Leonard Fournette is on the list, too.
As of Tuesday, the NFL adopted the CDC’s new quarantining guidelines, stating that players who test positive and are asymptomatic regardless of vaccination status will only have to quarantine for five days instead of 10.
Sporting News has the list of all of the players who have entered COVID-19 protocols ahead of Week 17 games.
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NFL players in league COVID protocols
(Based on official team rosters as of Jan. 1)
Atlanta Falcons (13 players)
DT Marlon Davidson LB Brandon Copeland WR Tajae Sharpe LB James Vaughters LB Dorian Etheridge QB Feleipe Franks S Richie Grant DL Tyeler Davison DL Jonathan Bullard SS Jaylinn Hawkins TE Hayden Hurst OL Willie Beavers OT Jason Spriggs
Baltimore Ravens (one player)
TE Josh Oliver
Carolina Panthers (13 players)
DT Daviyon Nixon C Matt Paradis DE Brian Burns C Sam Tecklenburg DE Marquis Haynes Sr. OL Haason Reddick DT Phil Hoskins LB Shaq Thompson S Kenny Robinson DE Darryl Johnson RB Reggie Bonnafon DB Jaycee Horn TE Tommy Tremble
Chicago Bears (four players)
WR Isaiah Coulter LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe TE Jesper Horsted DT Akiem Hicks
Cincinnati Bengals (eight players)
LB Clay Johnston DB Chidobe Awuzie QB Brandon Allen CB Darius Phillips WR Auden Tate LB Germaine Pratt WR Trenton Irwin DB Trae Waynes
Cleveland Browns (three players)
LB Tony Fields II LB Elijah Lee LT Alex Taylor
Dallas Cowboys (seven players)
DT Trysten Hill DT Osa Odighizuwa DB Malik Hooker CB Kyron Brown S Tyler Coyle DT Quinton Bohanna LB Keanu Neal
Denver Broncos (17 players)
RB Mike Boone DB P. J. Locke WR Seth Williams NT Mike Purcell OLB Andre Mintze WR Tim Patrick T Calvin Anderson S Caden Sterns CB Bryce Callahan CB Mike Ford T Bobby Massie OLB Stephen Weatherly DE McTelvin Agim LB Baron Browning LB Bradley Chubb LB Jonathan Cooper WR Jerry Jeudy
Detroit Lions (16 players)
DB Jalen Elliott DB Nickell Robey-Coleman LB Alex Anzalone WR Quintez Cephus DB Corey Ballentine LB Tavante Beckett DB Ifeatu Melifonwu DB Tracy Walker DB Bobby Price WR Josh Reynolds QB Steven Montez TE Brock Wright DE Michael Brockers G Halapoulivaati Vaitai WR Geronimo Allison WR Kalif Raymond
Green Bay Packers (11 players)
G Ben Braden LB Tipa Galeai WR Amari Rodgers LB Ty Summers DL R. J. McIntosh LB Oren Burks TE Marcedes Lewis S Henry Black P Corey Bojorquez TE Tyler Davis DL Kingsley Keke
Houston Texans (11 players)
DE DeMarcus Walker DB Cre’Von LeBlanc T Tytus Howard DB Lonnie Johnson RB David Johnson FB Paul Quessenberry DL Ron’Dell Carter WR Chris Moore WR Danny Amendola TE Anthony Auclair LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
Indianapolis Colts (eight players)
QB Carson Wentz CB T. J. Carrie LB Malik Jefferson T Braden Smith CB Chris Wilcox QB James Morgan TE Eli Wolf LS Luke Rhodes
Jacksonville Jaguars (20 players)
OL Ben Bartch TE Dan Arnold DT Malcom Brown DE/OLB K’Lavon Chaisson OL Brandon Linder DT DaVon Hamilton TE Chris Manhertz DE/OLB Lerentee McCray OL Andrew Norwell DL Jihad Ward OL Jared Hocker TE Jacob Hollister DT Jay Tufele OL Cam Robinson WR Jaydon Mickens LB Dylan Moses S Rudy Ford S Andrew Wingard RB BJ Emmons DB Shaquill Griffin
Kansas City Chiefs (nine players)
TE Travis Kelce K Harrison Butker TE Joe Fortson CB Rashad Fenton P Tommy Townsend LB Nick Bolton OT Lucas Niang OLB Kyle Long S Armani Watts
Las Vegas Raiders (seven players)
DB Nate Hobbs DB Trayvon Mullen LB Will Compton DT Kendal Vickers TE Darren Waller DE Carl Nassib G Jordan Simmons
Los Angeles Chargers (14 players)
LT Rashawn Slater G/C Scott Quessenberry LB Joey Bosa DB Tevaughn Campbell DB Kemon Hall C Corey Linsley DB Trey Marshall WR Andre Roberts LB Chris Rumph DB Chris Harris Jr. CB Michael Davis S Nasir Adderley TE Jared Cook LB Damon Lloyd
Los Angeles Rams (two players)
LB Justin Lawler RB Raymond Calais
Miami Dolphins (seven players)
G Solomon Kindley WR Albert Wilson RB Lynn Bowden DL Adam Butler DT John Jenkins S Brandon Jones WR Preston Williams
Minnesota Vikings (four players)
G Olisaemeka Udoh DE Patrick Jones II LB Nick Vigil QB Kirk Cousins
New England Patriots (six players)
OT Yasir Durant LB Harvey Langi LB Cameron McGrone DE Ronnie Perkins RB Rhamondre Stevenson DL Deatrich Wise
New Orleans Saints (18 players)
G James Carpenter LB Kaden Elliss DB Jeff Heath DB Malcom Jenkins T Jordan Mills DT Christian Ringo LB Demario Davis OT Ryan Ramczyk TE Adam Trautman TE Juwan Johnson S J. T. Gray DE Carl Granderson DE Jalyn Holmes DT Malcolm Roach OT Jerald Hawkins CB KeiVarae Russell LB Kwon Alexander S Marcus Williams
New York Giants (nine players)
LB Oshane Ximines QB Daniel Jones WR Sterling Shepard DB Julian Love DT Danny Shelton DL Dexter Lawrence OT Korey Cunningham WR Darius Slayton LB Omari Cobb
New York Jets (five players)
WR Elijah Moore DB Sharrod Neasman DL Quinnen Williams DL Ryan Griffin WR Vyncint Smith
Philadelphia Eagles (five players)
G Landon Dickerson DE Derek Barnett CB Andre Chachere TE Noah Togiai WR John Hightower
Pittsburgh Steelers (nine players)
DE Montravius Adams DB Linden Stephens RB Anthony McFarland WR Anthony Miller S Karl Joseph WR Tyler Vaughns DB Arthur Maulet LB Joe Schobert DE Chris Wormley
Seattle Seahawks (two players)
CB Bless Austin LG Damien Lewis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (four players, head coach)
WR Jaelon Darden HC Bruce Arians CB Jamel Dean CB Sean Murphy-Bunting P Bradley Pinion
Tennessee Titans (six players)
T Kendall Lamm WR Julio Jones LB Bud Dupree DB Buster Skrine DL Denico Autry LB Jayon Brown
Washington Football Team (18 players)
QB Kyle Allen DT Matt Ioannidis S Darrick Forrest OT Cornelius Lucas DE William Bradley-King DB Kendall Fuller RB Wendell Smallwood DB Kamren Curl LB Khaleke Hudson K Joey Slye C/G Beau Benzschawel CB Darryl Roberts T David Steinmetz P Tress Way T Sam Cosmi QB Kyle Shurmur G Ereck Flowers RB Antionio Gibson
MORE: New NFL COVID protocols, explained
NFL COVID vaccine rules
Here is the COVID protocol for vaccinated players, according to the NFL:
Vaccinated individuals who test positive and are asymptomatic will be isolated and contact tracing will promptly occur. The positive individual will be permitted to return to duty after two negative tests at least 24 hours apart. After that, they will be tested every week or as directed by the medical staff. Vaccinated individuals will not be subject to quarantine as a result of close contact with an infected person.
The main difference between vaccinated and unvaccinated players is that vaccinated players don’t have to worry about being a “high-risk” close contact at any point. They also have more freedom to participate in activities than their unvaccinated counterparts. Vaccinated players can go out on the road and more easily spend time with teammates outside the facility, among other perks.
What is NFL’s COVID protocol for unvaccinated players?
The NFL’s COVID protocols are stricter than those for vaccinated players. They are as follows, per the NFL:
If an unvaccinated person tests positive, the protocols from 2020 will remain in effect. The person will be isolated for a period of 10 days and will then be permitted to return to duty if asymptomatic. Unvaccinated individuals will continue to be subject to a five-day quarantine period if they have close contact with an infected individual.
Unvaccinated players also have more procedures they must follow to avoid falling into COVID protocol. They include the following:
Unvaccinated individuals must be tested for COVID every day at the team facility. If a player misses even one day of testing, they will be required to test negative for COVID for five straight days before re-entering the facility. That’s what happened to Cam Newton before the final week of the Patriots’ preseason. Unvaccinated free agents must also test negative for five consecutive days before being allowed to enter a team facility. Unvaccinated players must wear masks at all times in the facility. They cannot gather in groups larger than three players and on the road “are prohibited from congregating, visiting or mingling with individuals outside of the traveling party once they have arrived in the game city. " Unvaccinated individuals are subject to fines if they break COVID protocols. This can include anything from failing to wear a mask in the facility or going to an indoor concert or house party with more than 15 people.
When is a player considered fully vaccinated?
The NFL considers a player fully vaccinated if they fall into one of the two following categories: They either are 14 days removed from their final dose of Pfizer, Moderna or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or they previously contracted COVID and are 14 days removed from a single dose of any vaccine.
MORE: NFL players sound off on postponements amid COVID outbreak
Will the NFL postpone games because of COVID?
The NFL has left the door open for potential postponements. That said, the league has said that “postponements will only occur if required by government authorities, medical experts, or at the commissioner’s discretion.”
Of course, the NFL has also said that it’s hoping to play its full, 272-game schedule “in a safe and responsible way,” so it seems likely that the league will consider postponements where appropriate.
However, the NFL has noted that the burden of postponements or cancellations will fall upon teams featuring COVID spikes among unvaccinated players. If outbreaks occur among vaccinated players, the league will seek to “minimize the burden” of that club.
What does that mean? If a team has an outbreak that impacts unvaccinated players, they’re less likely to get a favorable ruling from the NFL. So, they may be forced to play significantly shorthanded or at a less convenient time.
The NFL also has stated that if a game cannot be rescheduled within its 18-week season due to a COVID outbreak amid non-vaccinated players, the team with the outbreak will be forced to forfeit.
Additionally, the league said that “games will not be postponed or rescheduled simply to avoid roster issues caused by injury or illness affecting multiple players, even within a position group.” The Broncos were the best example of that principle in action. They had to play with practice squad receiver Kendall Hinton as their quarterback after their QB room was exposed to the virus.
Will the NFL add an extra week because of COVID postponements?
No, it’s not planning to add an extra week to the schedule. The NFL confirmed that they are hoping not to extend the regular season past 18 weeks (17 games and one bye).
Perhaps the NFL will change its tune if COVID becomes a bigger issue than the league anticipates, but for now, don’t expect the league to add another week to the season.
Jake Aferiat contributed to this article.
