Eagles player tests positive for COVID-19, goes into self-isolation originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles on Thursday placed four players on the NFL’s COVID-19 list.
Vinny Curry, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and Corey Clement were the three players on the active roster to be added to the list. And receiver Deontay Burnett was added to the Practice Squad COVID-19 list.
Receiver John Hightower missed Thursday’s practice with an illness designation but was not added to Reserve/COVID-19 like the others.
This news comes hours after the Eagles on Thursday announced that another player tested positive for COVID-19. That player and his close contact are now all in self isolation.
As a reminder, the COVID-19 list is for any player who has either tested positive or who has had contact with someone who has.
Before this week, the Eagles had just two players land on the Reserve/COVID-19 list all season: Marcus Epps during the bye week and Matt Pryor in October. Pryor and Epps missed a game apiece while on the list.
On Wednesday, Epps was finally removed from the COVID-19 list and returned to practice.
As COVID-19 cases rise across the country, the NFL has seen their cases rise as well as they test daily.
From Aug. 1-Nov. 14, the NFL had a total of 95 players and 175 other team personnel members test positive for COVID-19. But from just Nov. 8-14, there were 17 new cases among players and 35 new cases among personnel members.
So there has been a pretty large increase in the amount of positive tests recently. And that has continued to this week.
While Epps tested positive two weeks ago, the Eagles had a coach test positive last week. Senior defensive assistant Jeremiah Washburn was not permitted to travel to the Giants game. And during the week, the Eagles were forced to have special assistant to the GM Connor Barwin coach the DL.
In the summer, the Eagles had three players on the COVID-19 list and even head coach Doug Pederson tested positive.
Because of the newest positive test, the Eagles are back into the Intensive Protocol and the rest of the league will join them starting Saturday. The NFL will mandate this Intensive Protocol for the rest of the 2020 season.
Here’s everything you need to know about that protocol:
The shorter version is this: The Eagles will be holding their meetings virtually and will have stricter standards for face coverings and distancing at practice.
The Eagles are already used to being in those conditions. On Thursday, Miles Sanders admitted the Intensive Protocol can be challenging.
“But we gotta do what we gotta do to make this thing work, so we're willing to do it and the whole league should be ready to do it,” Sanders said. “We're ready for it, and we've already been in intensive protocol for last week, so if that's what it takes to this season going, then that's we're gonna be. You see I got my mask on right now. I ain't trying to get fined.”
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