The Chicago Bears are currently down another nose tackle as John Jenkins was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday.
There is a new reserve/COVID-19 list status for players that have either tested positive for COVID-19 or has been quarantine having been exposed to someone infected with the virus.
Teams are not permitted to comment on a player’s medical status, so just because Jenkins has been placed on the list doesn’t mean he tested positive for COVID-19.
The Bears defense suffered a brutal blow as nose tackle Eddie Goldman opted out of the 2020 season due to growing health and safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Jenkins has been the favorite in-house candidate to replace Goldman, so losing him for a period of time is certainly concerning.
General manager Ryan Pace has said he feels confident with options on the roster, including Bilal Nichols, Roy Robertson-Harris and undrafted rookie Lee Autry. But you figure he could be looking to the free agent market for options considering there isn’t a true nose tackle on the roster now. One of the big names still available is Damon Harrison, who is one of the game’s best run-stuffing nose tackles.
As far as returning from the reserve/COVID-19 list, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said there’s no specified time frame for a return, “only the minimum time it takes to pass NFL-NFLPA testing and treatment protocols. If you have close contact with an asymptomatic person(s) and test negative, return can be quick.”
With Jenkins placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, which means he’s not on the active roster, which brings Chicago’s roster to 81. Pace said he expects to trim the roster to 80 most likely by Sunday.
