Broncos set to play without trained QB
The Denver Broncos have no quarterbacks. The San Francisco 49ers have no home stadium or practice facility. And the Baltimore Ravens may not have enough players available for their next game, which has already been pushed back twice.
The coronavirus pandemic created major interruptions around the NFL on Saturday.
Multiple people familiar with the NFL’s investigation told The Associated Press that all four of the quarterbacks on Denver’s roster were ineligible to play today against the New Orleans Saints.
One person told the AP that starter Drew Lock, backup Brett Rypien and practice squad veteran Blake Bortles were deemed high-risk close contacts with No. 3 quarterback Jeff Driskel on Wednesday, the day before Driskel tested positive for covid-19.
Another person said the four quarterbacks apparently weren’t wearing their masks the whole time they were together as required by the league’s pandemic protocols.
The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the NFL and the Broncos hadn’t made any announcements after Lock, Rypien and Bortles were ordered off the practice field Saturday and into isolation. The Broncos were scrambling to prepare practice squad rookie receiver Kendall Hinton and No. 3 running back Royce Freeman to play QB against the Saints.
The Ravens, meanwhile, put six more players on the covid-19 list, which is for players who’ve either tested positive for the virus or had close contact with an infected person. Baltimore already had disciplined an unidentified staff member for violating covid-19 protocols, and the outbreak — the worst on any team this season — left the Ravens with three defensive linemen and one quarterback available.
The Tennessee Titans previously had their Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers postponed because of a covid-19 outbreak, giving both teams an unexpected bye week, and their subsequent game against Buffalo was pushed back to a Tuesday.
The Ravens’ game at rival Pittsburgh was initially scheduled for Thanksgiving night but was moved to Sunday before being postponed again for Tuesday. Some Steelers players complained about their schedule being disrupted again because of another team’s failure to contain an outbreak. But the Steelers placed starting running back James Conner on the covid-19 list Saturday, joining three other teammates.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has warned all 32 teams that forcing changes to the schedule could lead to them being stripped of draft choices or even forfeiting games. The league has thus far avoided any forfeits and was on track to complete its regular season on time.
But the league has few options should the Baltimore-Pittsburgh game need to be further delayed. The league also moved Thursday night’s matchup between Baltimore and Dallas to Dec. 7.
For the 49ers, the latest complication arose from the local government trying to contain the spread of the virus in the county where they practice and play their home games. Santa Clara County banned all contact sports from holding games and practices for the next three weeks.
The ban was to take effect Monday after the 49ers returned from their game at the Los Angeles Rams. It’s set to last until Dec. 21.
The 49ers have home games scheduled for Dec. 7 against Buffalo and Dec. 13 against Washington at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. The team also practices at that site.
The Saints placed starting left tackle Terron Armstead (UAPB) on their covid-19 list, leaving him ineligible for today’s game at Denver.