NFL extends daily testing for COVID-19 into the regular season
Stafford in 2019; Paxton Lynch of the Steelers; Cooper Rush and Alex Tanney of the Giants; Kurt Benkert and Kyle Lauletta of the Falcons; Chad Kelly of the Colts; and David Fales and Mike White of the Jets, who said veteran Joe Flacco passed his physical after neck surgery.
Making the Giants was Mr. Irrelevant. Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder, the final player taken in April’s draft, is on the roster. Miami kept Malcolm Perry, a star QB at Navy and now a wideout.
Watson’s new deal ranks only behind the 10-year, $503 million deal for Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, his opposing quarterback in the season opener.
“As a child growing up in Georgia, it was always my dream to play in the NFL,” Watson wrote on social media. “Today, I couldn’t be more honored and humbled to sign a long-term deal in Houston, the city that I’ve grown to love so much and now call my home.”
“I promise to do everything I can to not only bring a championship to this great city but also leave a legacy of helping positively impact this community,” he wrote in the post. “Now back to the work …”
The Chargers’ Keenan Allen received a four-year deal that will make him the league’s second-highest paid receiver in average money. He will get $80.1 million with $50 million guaranteed.
“Want to thank the organization … (general manager) Tom Telesco especially for giving me a opportunity! Super juiced about this,” Allen said on his Instagram account.
The Chargers also waived Trent Scott, who started nine games at tackle last season.
Pittsburgh cut longtime defensive tackle Dan McCullers. A sixth-round pick in 2014, the massive McCullers (6-foot-7, 352 pounds), carved out a niche as a backup but struggled to get into the regular defensive line rotation.
The Cowboys released two veterans who played all 16 games last season, linebacker Justin March and cornerback C.J. Goodwin. March and Goodwin mostly played on special teams but saw some action on defense because of injuries.
VIRUS TESTING: Daily testing for COVID-19, except on game days, has been extended into the regular season by the NFL and the players’ union.
All players and other team personnel categorized in Tiers 1 and 2 will continue to be tested each day, a process that has worked relatively well for the league as it approaches the first game on Thursday night in Kansas City. With no testing on game days, the pregame coronavirus exams will be conducted on the day before the game and must be completed before a club travels.
NFL Players Association President JC Tretter of the Cleveland Browns recently called for a continuation of daily testing.
“In the spirit of adaptability, expect the
NFLPA to push for modifications or updated recommendations — such as the continuation of daily testing — as the season progresses and new information becomes available,” Tretter posted on the union website last week. “We will continue to rely on scientific data to inform our approach for combating this virus. As the science evolves, we will evolve with it.”
In a memo Saturday to all 32 teams, the protocols for the upcoming season were detailed. They include masks being recommended but not required for players on the sidelines, except in San Francisco and Buffalo, where local regulations require them; access to team facilities on the day after a game for players and anyone else in Tiers 1 and 2 being prohibited unless they require medical treatment or the club has a short week; no travel to an away game on the day of the game; and reducing coin toss participants to one per team, with face coverings.