CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ The Carolina Panthers have placed kicker Joey Slye and offensive lineman Trent Scott on the league's reserve/COVID-19 list. The team's facility is remaining open and practice took place Wednesday afternoon as scheduled.
The list is for players who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive. Being in close contact with someone includes being within six feet of them for more than 10 minutes and having direct physical contact with an infected individual during practice.
"I think the protocols and the contact tracing provide us a scientific way of looking at anybody that could potentially be affected by coronavirus and provides some context as to how we can best make sure that we block the chain and cut the chain. Keep any cases that happen isolated to those people," Panthers coach Matt Rhule said Wednesday.
Since Friday, the Panthers have placed four players on league's list. Scott is the third offensive lineman, joining Tyler Larsen and Michael Schofield.
A team spokesperson confirmed that Slye and Scott were not in the building Monday or Tuesday when the football offices were closed as a precaution, but some players came in for any medical needs.
Both of their placements on the COVID-19 list are backdated to Monday, meaning they have not been ruled out for Sunday's game in New Orleans. Teams may not disclose why a player has been placed on the list. Slye and Scott were placed on the list due to close contact, according to a league source.
Players who have been in close contact with an infected individual can return to the facility if five days have passed since the last exposure to an infected individual and they continue to have negative point-of-care tests during that time frame. They also need to be approved by the team doctors, the team infection control officer, director of security Eddie Levins and the NFL Chief Medical Officer, Allen Sills.
The Panthers had three kickers first arrive to visit Monday to start the six-day COVID-19 testing process: Casey Bednarski, Taylor Bertolet and Austin Parker. They began testing for COVID-19 Tuesday. The team does not have any other kickers on the active roster or practice squad. If Slye is unavailable, one of the three kickers would be able to enter the building as soon as Saturday as long as they test negative for COVID-19 all week. Punter Joe Charlton has high school placekicking experience.
Offensive lineman Sam Tecklenburg was signed from the practice squad Tuesday. The rest of the remaining offensive lineman on the active roster are guards Dennis Daley, John Miller and Chris Reed, tackles Russell Okung, Taylor Moton and Greg Little and center Matt Paradis.
"The sad part about the nature of football is there injuries all over the place no matter what," Paradis said. "Yes, COVID is new to us and we don't still understand everything about it, but just the nature of our sport, there's going to be guys going down and guys getting called up and a lot of movement and shuffling. No one's in like panic mode, as far as I would say.
