Colts finally hit by COVID-19 protocol
To Indianapolis Colts coach Frank Reich, it was just a matter of time before his team would be adding a few players to the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list.
The Colts placed safety Jahleel Addae, cornerback T.J. Carrie, linebacker Malik Jefferson, running back Marlon Mack and tackle Braden Smith on the list Monday. Smith has been a key member of the offensive line that has helped Jonathan Taylor lead the league in rushing. Cornerback Chris Wilcox went on the practice squad COVID-19 list.
“It’s interesting that since we had more unvaxed players than the average around the league that we were one of the last teams to (test) positive,” Reich said. “You kind of feel like it’s going to catch up with you at some point just because the virus is so rampant. But this is what you prepare for, hitting adversity you don’t expect, although this is something we probably could have expected to hit us at some point.”
As for changes in operations this week, Reich said “There are going to be some elements that are virtual this week. It could be all meetings are virtual and guys just come in for practice.”
The NFL mandated that all media covering playoff teams and games, and the Super Bowl, must have received a COVID-19 booster by Jan. 12. Exceptions are for:
• An individual who is not eligible for a booster pursuant to the CDC definition;
• An individual who has tested positive for COVID-19
in the past 90 days;
• An individual who received monoclonal antibodies within the immediately preceding 90 days.
MORE COVID-19 NEWS >> The Carolina Panthers sent all of their players home from Bank of America Stadium after six more players tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.
That brings the total number of Carolina players on the COVID-19 reserve list to 13.
Defensive end Brian Burns, linebacker Shaq Thompson, defensive end Marquis Haynes, defensive tackle Phil Hoskins, center Matt Paradis and defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon all tested positive on Monday. Paradis and Nixon were already on injured reserve.
• The Jacksonville Jaguars placed 10 players on the COVID-19 list Monday, including five defensive
linemen and two starting offensive linemen.
Because left guard Andrew Norwell is unvaccinated, he will be out at least 10 days under NFL protocols and will miss Sunday’s game at New England. The other nine players are vaccinated and have a chance to play against the Patriots.
• The Tennessee Titans got left guard Rodger Saffold and rookie defensive back Elijah Molden back from the COVID-19 list. They still have two other offensive linemen still on the list, and they also put four players — including three starters — on the it, including outside linebacker Bud Dupree, wide receiver Julio Jones, defensive back Buster Skrine and receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. They also put cornerback Caleb Farley, who’s on injured reserve, on the COVID-19 list as well.
Tennessee can clinch the AFC South for a second straight year with one victory, or an Indianapolis loss. The Titans host Miami on Sunday.
• The Cleveland Browns, who have been hit as hard as any team by COVID-19 cases the past few weeks, activated eight players, including defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and versatile running back Kareem Hunt.
Clowney has missed the past two games — both losses — and his return will help a pass rush that hasn’t been the same without him. JAGUARS SEARCH FOR COACH >> The Jacksonville Jaguars are getting an earlier-thanusual start on their coaching search.
This time, owner Shad Khan doesn’t have his guy already lined up.
The Jaguars (2-13) will begin setting up and interviewing candidates this week — the NFL now allows teams to start the process during the final two weeks of the regular season — and Khan is expected to cast a wide net in search of his fifth head coach in the past decade.
Khan had preliminary discussions with (and essentially targeted) Urban Meyer a year before he fired Doug Marrone following the 2020 season. Khan never imagined Meyer, one of college football’s winningest coaches, would be such an NFL debacle.
Khan fired Meyer on Dec. 16, ending one of the most turbulent and toxic coaching tenures in league history, and clearly needs to completely tear down and rebuild a woeful franchise that’s endured double-digit losses nine times in his 10 years.
Jacksonville has dropped 34 of its past 39 games, including a 26-21 nail-biter at the New York Jets on Sunday.
“I’ve had a lot of failures; they were not on the sports page,” Khan said earlier this month. “You get up, like football, you dust yourself off and you have another go at it.”
Former Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson, former Indianapolis and Detroit coach Jim Caldwell, former Minnesota coach and current Buffalo defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier are expected to get consideration.
Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, Green Bay offensive coordinator Nate Hackett, Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and former Atlanta coach and Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn also could be in the mix.