With games around the league being postponed this week due to rising cases of the highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19, Jacksonville’s matchup against the New York Jets could potentially be the next one to be affected. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team currently has 15 players sidelined with COVID, as well as head coach Robert Saleh.
Among the players currently unavailable are rookie receiver Elijah Moore, who leads the team in receiving yards with 538 on 43 catches. He also leads the team with five touchdowns. Meanwhile, rookie guard Alijah Vera-Tucker is also out with COVID this week for New York.
Fifteen Jets out due to COVID-19:
HC Robert Saleh
CB Michael Carter
WR Elijah Moore
G Vera-Tucker
DL Foley Fatukasi
DE J.Franklin-Myers
ST Justin Hardee
LB H.Nasirildeen
S S.Neasman
WR Jeff Smith
LB Blake Cashman
LB Noah Dawkins
CB Lamar Jackson
DL Tanzel Smart
WR Vyncint Smith— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 22, 2021
Per the NFL’s COVID protocol, vaccinated players and coaches must be symptom-free with two negative tests within 24 hours of each other to be cleared. Unvaccinated individuals, however, must wait 10 days to be removed from the protocol.
Saleh is vaccinated, so he could potentially return for Sunday’s game. The vaccination status of the rest of the players is unclear, meaning this will be a developing story to watch heading into the weekend.
Jacksonville doesn’t have much to play for after being eliminated from playoff contention two weeks ago, but the team is currently in position to pick first overall in the 2022 NFL draft, and a game against a Jets team that only sits one game better could have major implications for the draft order.
