GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is in the NFL’s COVID-19 protocol and will miss Sunday’s game at Kansas City.
Green Bay Coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Wednesday that Rodgers was in the protocol, but would not say if Rodgers had tested positive nor if the reigning NFL MVP has been vaccinated.
Rodgers is the latest Packers player to deal with the coronavirus. Wide receivers Davante Adams, a 2020 All-Pro, and Allen Lazard missed last week’s victory at Arizona because of COVID-19 protocols. Defensive coordinator Joe Barry tested positive last week and also missed the Cardinals game.
Green Bay’s backup quarterback is 2020 first-round draft pick Jordan Love, who has thrown seven passes in his short career. The third-stringer, Kurt Benkert, is on the practice squad but was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list on Tuesday. Love’s lone regular-season game appearances came when he played the fourth quarter of a 38-3 season-opening loss to New Orleans, and took three kneel-downs at the end of a 35-17 victory over Detroit.
Vaccinated players who test positive are allowed to return after they have two negative tests that are taken at least 24 hours apart. Unvaccinated players who test positive are isolated for at least 10 days. Rodgers was asked at an Aug. 26 media session whether he had been vaccinated.
“Yeah, I’ve been immunized,” Rodgers replied. “You know, there’s a lot of conversation around it, around the league, and a lot of guys who have made statements and not made statements, owners who have made statements. There’s guys on the team that haven’t been vaccinated. I think it’s a personal decision. I’m not going to judge those guys. There are guys that’ve been vaccinated that have contracted COVID. It’s an interesting issue that I think we’re going to see played out the entire season.”
HENRY RUGGS III was driving at more than 150 mph with a blood-alcohol content twice Nevada’s legal limit before his sports car slammed into the rear of a vehicle that burned, killing a 23-year-old woman, a prosecutor said Wednesday.
The Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver was released by the team late Tuesday, just hours after the crash, his hospitalization and his booking into a Las Vegas jail. He had his initial court appearance Wednesday on felony charges of driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death and reckless driving that could get him up to 26 years in state prison if he is convicted.
Ruggs, 22, appearing with his attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, was not asked to enter a plea to the charges, pending the formal filing of charges by Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson.
The name of the Las Vegas woman who died in the wrecked and burned Toyota Rav4 with her dog was not immediately made public.
Las Vegas police have identified Ruggs’ passenger as Kiara Je’nai Kilgo-Washington, 22, of Las Vegas. Ruggs and Kilgo-Washington were hospitalized with unspecified injuries that police said did not appear life-threatening after the Chevrolet Corvette he was driving slammed into the Toyota at about 3:40 a.m. Tuesday.
Ruggs owns a $1.1 million home not far from where the crash occurred, according to property records.
PANTHERS: Running back Christian McCaffrey and quarterback Sam Darnold showed up for practice on Wednesday in full pads. However, their status for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots remained very much up in the air.
McCaffrey, who has missed the last five games with a hamstring injury, has been designated for return from injured reserve and the team has 21 days to decide whether to activate him on the 53-man roster. Darnold remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol, although his attendance at practice is a positive sign.
McCaffrey went through individual drills and was seen skipping across the field and appeared to be in good spirits during the 20 minutes of practice that was open to the media. Darnold had left the field before media arrived.
The Panthers (4-4) are looking to build off last week’s 19-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons, which snapped a four-game losing steak.
SAINTS: New Orleans receiver Michael Thomas says he won’t be able to play this season because of complications related to his offseason ankle surgery.
Saints Coach Sean Payton said Thomas will need an additional procedure, but he also said the setback had nothing to do with the receiver’s approach to his recovery and credited his work ethic during his rehabilitation.
Two seasons ago, Thomas set an NFL single-season record with 149 catches. He finished that season with 1,725 yards and nine receiving touchdowns. But last season he hurt his ankle late in Week 1 when he was rolled up on from behind by then-Saints running back Latavius Murray, who was tackled into Thomas while the receiver was blocking.
BROWNS: Odell Beckham Jr.’s days – maybe hours – with the Browns could be numbered.
The star wide receiver was excused from practice on Wednesday, a day after his father caused a stir before the trade deadline by sharing a video of quarterback Baker Mayfield not throwing passes to his son. It appears Beckham’s release could be imminent.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said Browns General Manager Andrew Berry is meeting with Beckham’s representatives. Stefanski gave blanket answers to questions ranging from whether the former Pro Bowler would be waived or if things could be fixed.
“There’s a lot of conversations that are ongoing between Andrew and his reps and I’m sure there’s substantive talk towards all those things,” Stefanski said before practice. “We’ll see where this goes.”
Stefanski was asked for the reason behind Beckham being excused from practice.
“Just felt that was the right thing to do,” he said.
Stefanski said he has not spoken to Beckham, a clear sign of a major rift between the Browns and a controversial player with a history of being a distraction. It’s likely the Browns (4-4) are preparing to move on without the 28-year-old Beckham, who is under contract for two more seasons but is not guaranteed any money after 2021.
GIANTS: Injured star running Saquon Barkley and two other starters did not practice after being placed in the COVID-19 protocol along with assistant coach Burton Burns.
Safety Xavier McKinney and left guard Matt Skura also did not practice because of the virus that was detected on Tuesday after the team returned from a game in Kansas City against the Chiefs the previous night.
Because of the results, the Giants required all players, coaches, team personnel and management to retest on Wednesday.
Coach Joe Judge said 13 members of the organization tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. Burns was the only one in that group who tested positive when retested.
JETS: The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced it will display New York Jets quarterback Mike White’s jersey and game ball from his record-setting performance in a 34-31 victory over Cincinnati last Sunday.
White, who made his first NFL start in place of the injured Zach Wilson, threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions, and caught a 2-point conversion pass after tossing the go-ahead TD score. His 37 completions were the most by a quarterback in his first NFL start.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame highlighted White’s achievement by placing his jersey and game ball in a glass display case in its Pro Football Today Gallery.
The 26-year-old White joined Cam Newton (2011) as the only players since 1950 to pass for at least 400 yards in their first NFL start. He was also the Jets’ first 400-yard passer since Vinny Testaverde threw for 481 on Christmas Eve 2000, a span of 327 games.
White was also selected the AFC offensive player of the week for his stunning performance, which came a week after he took the first regular-season snaps of his career when he filled in for Wilson at New England.
With Wilson still sidelined, White will make his second start Thursday night when the Jets play the Colts in Indianapolis.
OBIT: Tom Matte, who spent his entire 12-year NFL career as a gritty running back for the Baltimore Colts – except for a star turn for three games in 1965 as their quarterback – has died. He was 82.
The Baltimore Ravens confirmed Matte’s death during Coach John Harbaugh’s news conference Wednesday. No details were provided.
After scoring three touchdowns to carry Baltimore past Cleveland in the 1968 NFL championship game, Matte became the first player to top the 100-yard rushing mark in a Super Bowl, totaling 116 yards in a huge upset loss to Joe Namath and the New York Jets. He earned a championship ring with the 1970 Colts despite being sidelined with an injury for most of the season.
Although he rushed for 4,646 yards, caught 249 passes for 2,869 yards and scored 57 touchdowns, Matte spent most of his time with the Colts operating in the shadow of future Hall of Famers Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore, Raymond Berry and John Mackey.
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