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10 Raiders defenders on COVID-19 list

Updated November 18, 2020 - 6:03 pm

The fallout from defensive end Clelin Ferrell’s positive COVID-19 test result was felt in a major way by the Raiders on Wednesday as several of Ferrell’s teammates on defense were put on the COVID-19 reserve list as high-risk contacts.

As a result, the Raiders will practice this week without 10 key members of their defense. The players will be eligible to play Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs should they continue to test negatively, though some will only be deemed eligible by Sunday, meaning practicing ahead of the key game will not be possible.

Defensive backs Isaiah Johnson and Johnathan Abram, defensive linemen David Irving, Jonathan Hankins, Arden Key, Maliek Collins and Kendall Vickers were placed on the list on Wednesday, joining defensive back Lamarcus Joyner, who was placed on the list on Tuesday, and Ferrell, whose positive test was revealed on Wednesday.

Cory Littleton, who was put on the COVID-19 list last week, also did not practice. Ferrell was not at practice and is unlikely to play on Sunday.

With the Chiefs on deck, it leaves the Raiders incredibly vulnerable and not sure who will be able to play in the biggest game of the season thus far.

As of right now, for instance, if those on the COVID-19 list don’t return by Sunday, the Raiders’ defensive line could consist of defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Carl Nassib, defensive tackles Maurice Hurst and Daniel Ross, linebackers Nick Kwiatkoski, Nicholas Morrow and Raekwon McMillan, cornerbacks Damon Arnette and Trayvon Mullen and safeties Erik Harris and Jeff Heath.

The situation is similar to what happened last month when Trent Brown’s positive test for COVID-19 resulted in the Raiders’ entire starting offensive line having to go onto the COVID-19 list as high-risk contacts of Brown. Kolton Miller, Denzelle Good, Rodney Hudson and Gabe Jackson all missed the entire week of practice leading up to the Raiders’ game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, although each were able to be activated in time to play on Sunday.

In that situation, Brown played a major role in his teammates being designated as high-risk contacts. He didn’t consistently wear his monitoring device while at the Raiders’ headquarters in Henderson. That meant the Raiders could not rule out his teammates as contacts and had no choice but to assume they were.

The uncertainty of Brown’s situation resulted in the Raiders-Buccaneers game being switched out of the national prime-time Sunday Night Football slot to a 1 p.m. kickoff.

A league official on Wednesday indicated Sunday’s Raiders-Chiefs game on Sunday Night Football is expected to be played as scheduled.

The Raiders have had difficulties this year navigating through the pandemic. A number of players have ended up on the COVID-19 list due to positive test results or being high-risk close contacts.

The result of those repeated slip-ups was the heavy penalty the NFL recently dropped on the Raiders, fining the franchise $500,000 and coach Jon Gruden $150,000 and stripping the Raiders of a sixth-round draft pick.

Earlier in the season, Gruden was fined $100,000 and the club $250,000 after a Week 2 home game against the New Orleans Saints because Gruden was not consistently wearing a mask on the sidelines.

In addition, the Raiders were fined another $50,000 for allowing a non-cleared team employee into the locker room after the game.

Lastly, 10 Raiders players were fined a combined $150,000 for violating protocols during a fundraiser held by tight end Darren Waller.

The latest brush with COVID-19 coincides with the NFL moving to intensive COVID-19 protocols at all team facilities. The new level of management is in response to COVID-19 numbers spiking across the country.

Among the stricter guidelines are all meetings must be held virtually or in approved outdoor spaces, use of locker rooms on non-game days is discouraged and meals must be coordinated as serve and go to cut down on players, coaches and staff members congregating together. In addition, larger gatherings of players away from their team buildings is no longer allowed.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore onTwitter.

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