Ramsey, Higbee, join growing COVID list
The Los Angeles Rams didn’t have defensive back Jalen Ramsey or tight end Tyler Higbee on the field for Monday night’s game against the Arizona Cardinals after both players were put on the reserve/ COVID-19 list.
Giants rookie receiver Kadarius Toney was one of 37 positive COVID-19 tests in the NFL on Monday, a league record for a single day, sources told the New York Daily News.
Other reported cases included:
Washington: The Washington Football Team placed four more players on the reserve/covid-19 list, including starting defensive tackle and sack leader Jonathan Allen.
Rookie defensive end William Bradley-King, a practice squad player who was activated as a covid replacement player Sunday, was also added to the list, along with linebacker/ special-teamer David Mayo and practice squad tight end Temarrick Hemingway.
Washington has nine players in the covid-19 protocols, all were added in the past week.
Miami: The Miami Dolphins have four players on the NFL’s COVID-19 reserve list after adding safety Jevon Holland and running back Phillip Lindsay there on Monday
Los Angeles Chargers: Chargers offensive tackle Rashawn Slater tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday and entered league protocols.
Slater is the 10th Chargers player since the start of November that has been placed on the league’s reserve/COVID-19 list.
Wide receiver Keenan Allen and backup center Scott Quessenberry had positive tests last week and remain on the list.
Ex-player given 3 years for fraud
Former NFL player Josh Bellamy has been sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining over $1.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds.
Bellamy, 32, of St. Petersburg, Florida, was sentenced Friday in Tampa federal court, according to court records. He pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Besides serving prison time, Bellamy must also pay restitution.
Bellamy most recently played for the New York Jets, who released him from the reserve/physically unable to play list in September 2020, just days before his arrest. The wide receiver had been placed on the list in May of that year, ending his season before it began. He signed a two-year deal worth $5 million with New York in 2019 and played in seven games before injuring a shoulder and being placed on the injured reserve list.
According to court records, Bellamy obtained a Paycheck Protection Program loan of $1.2 million for his company, Drip Entertainment LLC, using falsified documents and false information. Bellamy admitted to using the loan proceeds on personal items, such as jewelry and a stay at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. He also sought loans on behalf of family members and close associates.
Bellamy has 78 career receptions for 1,019 yards and five touchdowns in his eight NFL seasons. He signed with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent out of Louisville in 2012.
Bellamy spent time with San Diego and Washington before being claimed by Chicago in 2014.
League to require COVID boosters
The NFL is requiring coaches, front-office staff and team personnel to receive a COVID-19 booster by Dec. 27.
In a memo sent to teams, the league said: “Given the increased prevalence of the virus in our communities, our experts have recommended that we implement the CDC’s recommendation.”
The league’s requirement extends to individuals who have previously received the vaccine. Though players are in the Tier 1 designation, the mandate doesn’t apply to players because discussions with the NFL Players Association are ongoing.