NFL's COVID numbers growing
The New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders put players on the NFL’s COVID-19 list Tuesday, while Washington had its first instance of someone in the organization testing positive for the coronavirus since the season began.
The NFL said there were 17 new confirmed positives among players and 35 among other personnel during testing from Nov. 8-14. That brings the league’s total to 95 players and 175 other personnel since Aug. 1, not counting new cases this week.
“It reflects the continued uptick that we’re seeing in places around the country,” said Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer. “We’ve seen that throughout the course of our season, as our players, coaches and staff are exposed to others outside the team facility, we’re going to see these cases.”
After New York announced an unidentified player tested positive, Giants kicker Graham Gano landed on the reserve/COVID-19 test. Washington also placed defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis after announcing a positive test.
The other players put on the list Tuesday were Falcons wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, and Raiders defensive end Clelin Ferrell and defensive back Lamarcus Joyner.
Gano is the second Giants player in three weeks to go on the COVID-19 list after guard Will Hernandez on Oct. 29, who was activated Nov. 10 and played Sunday against Philadelphia. The Giants, who have a bye this week, said two staff members were told to remain home after coming into contact with the player who tested positive.
Treadwell is the second Atlanta player on the COVID-19 list, joining defensive end Dante Fowler Jr., who was put on it last week. Treadwell has spent the past 10 weeks on the practice squad.
The Raiders put Ferrell and Joyner on the list Tuesday, joining linebacker Cory Littleton, who tested positive last week, and right tackle Trent Brown, who tested positive last month. Brown was taken off the list before going back on it when symptoms returned.
Sills said that the NFL has identified nine people in recent weeks who were identified as “high-risk” close contacts who later tested positive after being isolated.
