3 linebackers on COVID reserve list
Instead of practicing Thursday, Texans outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus was in mandatory isolation, away from his teammates, friends and family.
When linebacker Jacob Martin tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday night, the Texans shut down their training facility, canceled practice and held virtual meetings.
Because contact tracing data determined that Mercilus and linebacker Dylan Cole were close contacts to Martin, they joined him on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Under NFL and NFLPA joint protocols, all three are ineligible to play in Sunday’s game at Jacksonville.
The Texans had no new positive tests and were cleared to return to their training facility for practice Friday, according to league sources not authorized to speak publicly.
“It’s a weird situation,” Mercilus said in a telephone interview Thursday afternoon. “I have not tested positive at all. I’m good. It’s just the situation. Nobody is immune to this. COVID has a way of creeping into the building, nomatter what precautions you take.
“Being in isolation, it sucks — and not being out there Sunday. All I can do is trust in God to get me through this. I’m pretty much at peace.”
The Texans are among a grow
ing number of NFL teams dealing with an active COVID-19 situation, including Chicago, Kansas City, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Green Bay, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Detroit, Dallas, Denver and Arizona.
Martin has self-isolated, and contact tracing and testing are ongoing.
“After the NFL did their contact tracing, they found that Whitney Mercilus and Dylan Cole had been in close contact with Jacob and thought they were at risk. And potentially at risk for maybe, if not having it, passing it on to other team members,” Texans interim coach Romeo Crennel said. “Hopefully, there will be no other positives that will impact anybody else on the team. My message to the players is it’s an unfortunate thing that’ s happened that we have to lose these players for this game, but they’re part of our family, and we’re going to support them, and then the other guys have to be ready to step up.”
The final decision on whether the Texas will be allowed to prac--tice Friday is in the hands of the NFL in consultation with Dr. Allen Sills, its chief medical officer, and other league officials. It’s considered unlikely the NFL would postpone Sunday’s game.
“I think that the league wants to play the game if possible,” Crennel said. “So they will wait until (Friday) at least, I believe, before making a decision. At the latest, it will be Saturday because that’s when we travel. Our bye week is passed, and there might not be space to reschedule. So it’s kind of up in the air.
“I hope to have a practice. If everybody is negative, like it looks like it is right now, then I think that they might let us back into the building to get practice in so that we can feel better about playing on Sunday.”
During the open week, guard Max Scharping tested positive for COVID-19, and the Texans entered the league’s intensive protocol. The first Texans player to test positive since the start of training camp, Scharping was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list and remains there.
Crennel emphasized that Martin and Scharping aren’t experiencing severe symptoms.
“Max is feeling well. He has no major symptoms or anything like that,” Crennel said. “Jacob, he was just discovered, and he has no major symptoms. Max is into his 10day isolation that’s mandatory. Jacob will start his. I think that they both will be OK and will be able to be back with us. The only thing that changes that is if their symptoms get worse for whatever reason.
“So hopefully, these guys will be back, and I’m planning on them being back. We can’t do anything about them getting back until after they go through the protocol.”
Multiple Texans players tested positive over the summer prior to training camp. The Texans had false positive tests for COVID-19 prior to a game at Pittsburgh. The players retested and were cleared to play before kickoff.
In conjunction with team officials, including interim general manager Jack Easterby and infection control officer Geoff Kaplan, Texans chairman Cal McNair instituted several facility upgrades that include medical-grade cleaning standards and touchless door technology.
“I thought our guys have done a really good job since the start of this pandemic and the protocols that have been put in place by the league,” Crennel said. “Now what I notice is, as the medical experts have said, as the weather gets colder, there’s going to bemore cases. That seems to be the case in the NFL, because there’s several other teams that are going through the same thing that we’re going through now this week.
“I’m concerned about what happens going forward, particularly if a large number on your team have come in close contact with somebody or you have more than one positive case. That’s an unknown, and we will adjust and adapt as we need to.”
It’s all part of the most unusual season in NFL history as the league attempts to stage its season during a global health crisis.
“The league is doing its best to put measures in place,” Mercilus said. “Cal McNair and the Texans have done an exceptional job of getting the building prepared with preventative measures, contact tracing and things of that nature. All you can do is pray for the best and hope everybody maintains and stays as safe as possible.”