The Raiders remained in limbo Thursday, waiting to see if any or all of their starting offensive linemen as well as safety Johnathan Abram will be available for their Week 7 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
One thing they know for sure — even if they get them back Sunday, it will be without the benefit of practice.
At issue, according to an NFL Network report, is a positive COVID-19 test by offensive lineman Trent Brown coupled with the belief that Brown “had not been consistently wearing his tracking device” mandated by the NFL, and that offensive linemen were seen on video together not wearing masks.
Aside from Brown, those who didn’t practice because of contact tracing were left tackle Kolton Miller, left guard Denzelle Good, right guard Gabe Jackson, and center Rodney Hudson in addition to Abram. Those five players joined Brown on the COVID-19 reserve list Thursday but Brown is believed to be the only one with a positive test.
All the quarantined players were designated as “high risk” by the NFL and must remain in isolation for five days. That means the earliest they could be medically cleared would be Sunday — the day of the game.
In the meantime, the quarantined players are keeping abreast of the game plan remotely, a team source said.
Brown, according to NFL Network, is not experiencing coronavirus symptoms.
Asked about the possibility of postponing the game, an NFL source cited the expanded 16-man practice squads put in place for roster flexibility in the event of positive tests, an indication the game is expected to go on as scheduled.
The league, however, did move the kickoff from 2:20 p.m. to 10:05 a.m. in order to preserve an NBC night game in case a postponement becomes necessary due to more coronavirus-related absences from the Raiders.
Brown and the Raiders practiced Monday and Tuesday was a mandatory players day off although coronavirus testing was required.
With all five starters out of practice, the Raiders, according to The Athletic, lined up Thursday with Sam Young at left tackle, Patrick Omameh at left guard, Andre James at center, John Simpson at right guard and Brandon Parker at right tackle.
“We haven’t changed our routine,” offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. “Obviously our numbers are down a little bit, but as far as our practices its business as usual and the next-man-up mentality. Nothing’s really changed.”
If Abram is a no-go, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther cited the threesome of Erik Harris, Jeff Heath and Dallin Leavitt as those who would pick up the slack at safety.
In a conference call Thursday with selected media, the NFL’s chief medical officer Alan Sills described that process that eventually led to designating Raiders players as “high risk”.
“The team is in intensive protocol, then we go into contact tracing, interviews, video review from within the facility or practice field,” Sills said. “That’s a multi-step process.”
Besides Brown and his linemates, the Raiders placed cornerback Damon Arnette on the COVID-19 reserve list Friday of last week. Arnette is already on injured reserve following thumb surgery. Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst was reinstated to the roster Monday after spending 13 days on the COVID-19 reserve list.
Following Wednesday’s practice, head coach Jon Gruden said the team is managing through the situation.
“We adjusted practice,” he said. “We still got a lot of work done, but you have to have linemen to play. We’ll have five on Sunday. We’ll be ready to go.”
Brown, who signed a four-year deal worth a maximum of $66 million before the 2019 season, played just three plays in the opener against Carolina before being lost to a calf injury. He returned to play every snap in the Raiders’ 40-32 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Raiders have been subject to discipline already for violations of the NFL’s coronavirus policy. They were fined $50,000 for having an unauthorized team employee in the locker room following a Week 2 win over New Orleans. They were also fined $250,000 over Gruden’s failure to properly wear a mask during that game — and Gruden himself was fined $100,000 for that infraction.
Ten Raiders players, including tight end Darren Waller and quarterback Derek Carr, received fines totaling $165,000 for not wearing masks at a benefit for Waller’s foundation.