The Saints' RB room isn't the only position affected by Covid-19. Safety D.J. Swearinger has also been sidelined by the virus & will be unavailable for Sunday's game vs. Carolina, per sources. The Saints were already without Marcus Williams (ankle) and CJ Gardner-Johnson (Covid).
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) January 2, 2021
After months of careful management amid a pandemic, the New Orleans Saints appear to be on the verge of a team outbreak. The Athletic’s Jeff Duncan reports that safety D.J. Swearinger will be joining defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson and running back Alvin Kamara on the NFL’s COVID-19 reserve list. A group of players and a Saints coach were also ruled out for Week 17’s game with the Carolina Panthers as high-risk close contacts to Kamara.
Swearinger’s loss is another big hit to the secondary; he was the go-to replacement for Gardner-Johnson in slot coverage, and the Saints are already without starting safety Marcus Williams (ruled out with an ankle injury). While veteran cornerback Patrick Robinson has been designated to return from injured reserve, he hasn’t been given the green light to play just yet. Duncan added that he anticipates backup corner Ken Crawley to fill in for Gardner-Johnson as the team’s nickel back instead.
It’s creating the conditions for a perfect storm, where the Saints are just short-handed enough to fall to Teddy Bridgewater and the Panthers on the eve of the playoffs. New Orleans does need some help to earn higher playoff positioning — the No. 1 seed is theirs if they beat the Panthers while the Green Bay Backers lose and the Seattle Seahawks win their matchups — but it all hinges on whether or not they can win their own game. That’s a tough sell with so many injuries at key positions.
