COVID-19 list still growing for Sunday

Both Saints veteran quarterbacks, Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian, Minnesota star running back Dalvin Cook and Cleveland center JC Tretter, the NFL Players Association president, tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.

But Washington is getting back quarterback Taylor Heinicke.

Hill and Siemian were among nine players for New Orleans placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The others include such key players as safety Malcolm Jenkins and tackle Jordan Mills, who is expected to start Monday night against Miami.

The situation left Ian Book, a rookie out of Notre Dame who has been inactive for all 14 games, as the only active quarterback under contract. It appears Book is in line for his maiden NFL regular-season appearance. Running back Alvin Kamara has been the Saints’ emergency quarterback for several seasons and conceivably could take direct snaps as a wildcat threat.

The latest COVID-19 hit to the Saints came as New Orleans awaits the return of coach Sean Payton, who did not travel to Tampa Bay for the Saints’ victory has worked from home since testing positive for COVID-19 last Thursday. Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has been serving as acting head coach.

Also placed on the COVID-19 list: guard James Carpenter, linebacker Kaden Elliss, safety Jeff Heath, defensive end Jalyn Holmes, and defensive tackle Christian Ringo.

Tretter posted on Twitter that he was experiencing symptoms and chose to be tested at the team’s facility in Berea, Ohio.

“Unfortunately, I am positive for COVID-19,” Tretter wrote. “I encourage all NFL players to take every precaution available to them to protect themselves, their families and their teammates from this virus.”

The Browns have been hit hard by a spate of positive tests in the past week and were missing 22 players, including Baker Mayfield as well as coach Kevin Stefanski, for Monday night’s rescheduled game against Las Vegas, which Cleveland lost.

On Wednesday, Tretter spoke to reporters for the first time in weeks and discussed the recent challenges for the NFL and players’ union to navigate the uptick in cases due to the omicron variant.

“It has been a trying week or two weeks for everybody,” Tretter said. “This is a new variant. When COVID first happened, we had six months to kind of figure it out and figure out a path forward. In this instance, we had about six days to figure it out.”

Tretter said he had received the vaccine booster, and had chosen to stay away from the facility as the team was conducting meetings virtually. He returned for Thursday’s practice and tested positive shortly before the Browns were scheduled to take the field.

The league relaxed some of its testing policies last week amid the outbreak among the Browns and other teams.

The Browns (7-7), who play at Green Bay on Christmas, got two more players back from the COVID-19 list as linebacker Grant Delpit and rookie offensive tackle

James Hudson III were activated.

Stefanski returned to the team on Wednesday. Mayfield has yet to produce a required negative test. His 10day quarantine period ends on Saturday, and it’s possible he’ll play against the Packers despite not practicing.

• Jets backup quarterback Joe Flacco and right guard Laurent DuvernayTardif are the latest placed on the COVID-19 list. The Jets have 20 players on the active and practice squad rosters, including injured reserve, on the list. Coach Robert Saleh also tested positive Wednesday.

Vikings add RB Cook to COVID-19 list

The Vikings added Cook to the list, who already has his third straight 1,000yard rushing season and is the only player in the NFL with 1,200-plus yards from scrimmage in each of the last three years. Cook has been following protocols for unvaccinated players. Alexander Mattison, who missed the previous game with COVID-19, has returned and will take over the lead role in the backfield.

Heinicke activated off COVID list for WFT

Washington’s Heinicke was activated off the COVID-19 list and was back at practice running the offense. Heinicke is expected to start Sunday night at the Dallas Cowboys after missing the game at Philadelphia while in virus protocol along with backup Kyle Allen.

Practice squad tight end Temarrick Hemingway also came off the list. Linebacker Cole Holcomb went into protocol Wednesday, and Washington is preparing to play without him.

With so many of Washington’s assistant coaches in COVID-19 protocol, coach Ron Rivera ran the scout team defense at practice. Rivera remained hopeful cornerback Kendall Fuller and others could be back in time to face the Cowboys.

Patriots on verge of AFC East title

In successive weeks last season, the Buffalo Bills ended the Patriots’ run of 11 consecutive AFC East titles and put a cap on their first season sweep of New England in more than a decade.

It felt like a possible power shift in a division the Patriots dominated during the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era.

A year later, New England is hoping to make it little more than a speed bump.

After grinding out a 1410 win at Buffalo earlier this month, the Patriots (9-5) host the Bills (8-6) in Sunday’s rematch needing a victory and a loss or tie by Miami at New Orleans on Monday to claim its 18th AFC East title since 2001.

But the margin for error is smaller than in previous seasons. A victory by the Bills would put them back atop the division, give them tiebreakers over the Patriots and Dolphins and clear a path to a second straight division crown.

Patriots safety Devin McCourty said having their seven-game win streak snapped in a loss at Indianapolis last week has helped keep everyone focused.