Will the Packers be Able to Replace Adams?
As the Green Bay Packers head into a Thursday night matchup with the unbeaten Arizona Cardinals, they may do it without their best receiver, as Davante Adams was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday. Adams has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, though he hasn’t been following the protocols for unvaccinated players, leading to the belief that he is vaccinated.
If Adams is vaccinated and asymptomatic, he’ll have to have two negative tests 24 hours apart to be able to play on Thursday. The Packers are 6-1 heading into the game between two of the top teams in the NFC.
Adams is tied for second in the NFL with 52 receptions this season, with his 744 receiving yards ranking third in the league. He has three touchdown catches.
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The Packers are already expecting to be without defensive coordinator Joe Barry for Thursday’s game because of COVID-19 rules. Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur also said there are other potential issues with the coaching staff because of the virus, and the team is increasing its protocols to try to keep everyone healthy.
“Any time that you have any cases, you’re always a little bit concerned about that,” LaFleur said about the moves before the Adams announcement. “But the majority of our guys are vaccinated, so there’s a little bit different protocol with that. I don’t think in terms of being at close contact with any of our players, I don’t think that’s a real concern of ours right now. But we’re still waiting to hear back from the league before we get clearance on anything.”
The Packers are hoping to get receiver Marquez Valdez-Scantling back for the Arizona game after he’s been out for a month with a hamstring injury.
The game matches two of the top teams on the NFC championship odds board. The Cardinals have moved up to +450 odds on BetUS Sportsbook, tied with the Los Angeles Rams to win the NFC crown. Tampa Bay remains the favorite at +225.
Nagy Tests Positive
Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy announced on Monday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week. Nagy coached in the team’s loss at Tampa Bay on Sunday and said he feels okay despite the positive test.
“This is something that for us, it’s a reminder for all of us to be extremely cautious and to understand where we’re at,” Nagy said in announcing the positive test. “We’ve seen it with other teams in the league and society in general, so we’re working through that.
“I feel pretty good. Again, you come in in the morning and it’s something where every morning on Monday, you come in, you’re following protocols, it’s what we do.”
Nagy, like all NFL coaches, is vaccinated, but he’ll need two negative tests 24 hours apart before being able to return to the team. Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor will take over some of Nagy’s duties while he’s out.
Four players for the Bears — offensive tackle Elijah Wilkinson, linebacker Caleb Johnson, tight end Jimmy Graham and linebacker Robert Quinn — are on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list.
Chicago dropped its second straight game on Sunday, falling to 3-4 on the season.
Broncos Making Moves
The Denver Broncos made a pair of moves to try to bolster their linebacking corps after seeing three players at the position hurt in Thursday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns. The latest move was Monday’s trade with the Los Angeles Rams to bring linebacker Kenny Young to Denver.
The Broncos traded a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Rams for Young and a 2024 seventh-round selection. This came after Denver made a trade with the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday to acquire Stephen Weatherly.
It’s a desperate situation for the Broncos at the linebacker position, as seven players at the position are currently on injured reserve for the team, including starters Bradley Chubb, Josey Jewell and Alexander Johnson. Thursday’s game saw Von Miller, Micah Kiser and Curtis Robinson all suffer injuries, leading to the latest moves by the team.
Denver started the season with three straight wins but has dropped its last four contests to drop in the standings and the NFL division odds. Once boasting a price as low as +400 in the preseason, the Broncos have crashed to +3300 to win the AFC West.
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