Several more New Orleans Saints players have been added to the COVID-19 reserve list, and two of them have earned All-Pro recognition in recent years. Right tackle Ryan Ramzcyk was removed from the injury report on Friday after testing positive for COVID-19, and he’s joined by standout linebacker Demario Davis. Backup running back Dwayne Washington has also been sidelined after entering COVID-19 protocols.
Ramczyk’s been out of action since Week 10 due to a knee injury, but it’s still disappointing to lose the possibility he could play this week. Davis is a serious loss as the defensive signal-caller and one of the team’s most visible leaders. And Washington’s absence piles on another hurdle for the special teams units — four of the six players to see 200-plus snaps in the kicking game this season aren’t available now.
That raises the total of Saints COVID-19 absences this week to 15. Two tight ends (Juwan Johnson and Adam Trautman) entered protocols early this week, and they were followed by nine more players including quarterbacks Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian. Now we’ve got four more hurdles to overcome, including these three and Pro Bowl special teams ace J.T. Gray.
