AJ Dillon activated from COVID list
Green Bay Packers running back A.J. Dillon has been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list.
The rookie second-round pick from Boston College had been on the list since Nov. 2. He hasn’t played in the Packers’ last five games.
Dillon has run for 97 yards on 23 carries this season.
Dillon wrote Thursday on Twitter, “Happy to be back out there... remember Covid hits everyone differently! I’ll be the posterboy for it’s no joke! I appreciate all the support throughout the process.”
Texas Tech has closed its football facility after eight members of the staff joined coach Matt Wells among those with positive tests for COVID-19.
Wells missed the regular-season finale against Kansas last weekend after testing positive during the week leading to the game. The school says the coaching staff started working remotely Wednesday so the football facility could be cleaned. The facility will be closed the rest of the week.
The season might not be over the Red Raiders (4-6) since all teams are eligible to participate in bowl games.
The Chicago Bears closed their facility for a few hours and pushed back practice Thursday because of a positive COVID-19 test.
The Bears initially called off practice in the morning and sent players in the building home before changing course in the afternoon.
The person who tested positive has been notified and is self-isolating.
The Bears placed three practice squad players on the COVID list this week — linebacker Manti Te’o, defensive lineman LaCale London and receiver Thomas Ives. Coach Matt Nagy said the team did not think the latest positive test was related to those cases.
“Obviously we’re not exempt from this pandemic,” Nagy said. “We all know that cases are on the rise. And I just want to credit our players and coaches for adapting and staying flexible. It’s not easy. But we have the right mindset.”
Chicago is scheduled to host Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans on Sunday. The Bears (5-7) have lost six in a row, their worst skid since the 2002 team tied a franchise record by dropping eight straight.
The regular season-ending game between No. 23 Texas and Kansas, which had already been pushed back to Saturday because of positive COVID-19 tests within the Jayhawks’ program, has now been canceled due to an outbreak among the Longhorns.
Texas (6-3, 5-3) returned three positive tests after blowing out Kansas State last week, prompting school officials to shut down practice. The Longhorns had a walkthrough Wednesday only to discover there were more positive tests.
Kansas will finish 0-9, its second winless season since 2015. Prior to that, the Jayhawks hadn’t gone without a win since 1954.
Washington continued to pause its football activities on Thursday due to a rise in COVID-19 cases, casting serious doubt over this weekend’s scheduled game against Oregon.
In a statement, Washington said the status of the game against the Ducks would be shared when more information becomes available.
The Huskies initially canceled practice on Wednesday due to a rise in the number of cases. Washington was awaiting additional PCR tests to confirm positive results. The school did not release the number of positive tests.
During his radio coaches show on Wednesday night, Washington coach Jimmy Lake said the number of cases and the lack continuity to them has left the school’s medical staff baffled.
Boston College has opted out of playing in a bowl game.
Coach Jeff Hafley said on Thursday that after speaking with his players the team decided to end its season.
The Eagles managed to make it through the entire season with just one positive COVID-19 test and played all 11 games on the schedule. But Hafley said the season has been a strain on the players.
“I wish we could play every Saturday,” Hafley said. “But I don’t have to sit in a dorm room by myself.”
The Eagles went 6-5, and 5-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference to qualify for a postseason game for the fifth straight year. But the shuffling of the schedules has left everyone on edge.
Athletic director Pat Kraft said he was concerned that the players would spend another three weeks away from their families with no guarantee that the bowl game would actually kick off.