Manning headlines Hall semifinalists Ravens’ outbreak now totals 10
Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson, Jared Allen and Calvin Johnson are first-year eligible players to make the list of 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2021.
Joining them are four previously eligible players who hadn’t made the semifinals: Eric Allen, Willie Anderson, Cornelius Bennett and Rodney Harrison.
A player must be retired for five seasons before being considered for entry to the Canton, Ohio, shrine.
The group of 25 announced Tuesday also includes former Cowboys safety Darren Woodson, as well as Ronde Barber, Tony Boselli, LeRoy Butler, Alan Faneca, Torry Holt, John Lynch, Clay Matthews, Sam Mills, Richard Seymour, Steve Tasker, Fred Taylor, Zach Thomas, Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne, Patrick Willis and Bryant Young.
Candidates will be trimmed to 15 modern-day finalists who will be considered for entry by the selection committee during Super Bowl week in February. Inductions are scheduled for next August, when the 2020 class and a special centennial class also will be enshrined after the COVID-19 pandemic forced postponement of those ceremonies last summer.
Also on the ballot in the coaching category is Tom Flores; in the contributors category is Bill Nunn; and in the seniors category is Cowboys legend Drew Pearson.
Ten members of the Baltimore Ravens’ organiza
tion — five players and five staffers — have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent days as they prepare for a Thanksgiving night matchup with the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers.
Those results represented totals over several days and were confirmed Tuesday evening by a person familiar with the situation.
The Ravens returned to conducting team operations remotely Tuesday, and the NFL said Thursday’s game in Pittsburgh is still on. But the league seemed to leave open the possibility of the game being rescheduled if needed, based on further test results.
“We will continue to monitor developments in consultation with our medical experts,” the NFL said in a statement. “Our foremost concern is the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel. There’s no change to the status of the game.”
The Ravens placed linebacker Pernell McPhee on their COVID-19 reserve list Tuesday, a day after coach John Harbaugh confirmed that running backs Mark Ingram II and J.K. Dobbins had tested positive.
Defensive tackle Brandon Williams has been placed in quarantine as a high-risk close contact, Harbaugh said.
Burkhead says he’s out for year
Patriots running back Rex Burkhead said the knee injury he suffered Sunday against the Texans will keep him sidelined for the rest of the season.
In an Instagram post Tuesday, Burkhead wrote that he looks forward to “coming back better than ever in 2021.” The proclamation comes after he was carted off the field in the third quarter of Sunday’s 27-20 loss at Houston after a knee-to-helmet collision with Texans cornerback
Bradley Roby.
Burkhead was having one of the best years of his career, with a combined 466 yards and six touchdowns rushing and receiving.
Odds and ends
Injured San Francisco 49ers cornerback K’Waun Williams has been suspended two games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. The Niners also said they’ve opened the injured reserve practice windows for running backs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. ...
Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward, who leads the NFL in passes defensed, will miss time with a strained calf he sustained in Sunday’s win over Philadelphia. The Browns already are missing dynamic defensive end Myles Garrett, who’ll miss his second straight game this week at Jacksonville as he recovers from COVID-19. ...
The New York Jets placed running back La’Mical Perine and kicker Sam Ficken on injured reserve. The team also announced it signed running back Josh Adams and tight end Ross Travis from the practice squad, and re-signed quarterback Mike White to the practice squad. ...
The Tennessee Titans placed two starters on injured reserve in linebacker Jayon Brown and left tackle Ty Sambrailo. The Titans also designated three-time Pro Bowl punter Brett Kern, cornerback Tye Smith and cornerback Kristian Fulton to return from injured reserve.