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The Las Vegas Raiders are now in a full-blown coronavirus crisis.
With the team already heavily dealing with the issue, NFL Media has reported that several defensive players have been put on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list as close contacts to defensive end Clelin Ferrell — who was placed on the list Tuesday and who will miss Sunday’s huge game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
At least 8 starters and others who play key roles won’t practice, sources say. Some will only be eligible on Sunday. All they have to do is get ready to face the #Chiefs and QB Patrick Mahomes. https://t.co/7CGaqbXtth
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 18, 2020
ESPN has the list of the players, who went on the list Wednesday, it includes Jonathan Abram and Arden Key.
Raiders defensive players placed on the COVID-19 list today:
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 18, 2020
* DB Jonathan Abram
* DT Maliek Collins
* DT Johnathan Hankins
* DB Isaiah Johnson
* DE Arden Key
* DT Kendal Vickers
Practice squad defensive lineman David Irving is on the list as well.
In total for the Raiders, six defensive starters and one offensive starter are on the COVID list.
It appears all of the players, other than Ferrell, will be eligible to play Sunday if they don’t test positive for the virus. None of them will practice this week, though. That’s a task against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense, especially considered how motivated that group is going to be after the Raiders gave Kansas City its only loss of the season, a 40-32 win in Week 5.
On Tuesday, slot cornerback LaMarcus Joyner was put on the list as a close contact. Linebacker Cory Littleton has been on the list since last week and reportedly is not expected to play Sunday. Raiders coach Jon Gruden didn’t give much information in a conference call with Kansas City media on Wednesday shortly after the news broke.
Jon Gruden on teleconference with KC media just now: "I don't know about the whole defense, but I'm not going to really get into what list anybody's on. We practiced today. We'll be ready for the game on Sunday." https://t.co/qBK7rvsedk
— Sam McDowell (@SamMcDowell11) November 18, 2020
There has been speculation that the NFL may move the game out of the Sunday night slot like they did in Week 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when most of the Raiders’ offensive line missed practice all week because they were on the COVID-19 list. So far, that hasn’t happened.
Meanwhile, there is some potential good news for the Raiders on the coronavirus front:
There is optimism that Raiders OT Trent Brown could be cleared as early as next week to resume working out, per source. Brown wants to return and play, and this would be the first step to doing it after he was placed on Reserve/COVID-19 list for second time this season on Nov. 5.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 18, 2020
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