The Jacksonville Jaguars’ game against the Houston Texans could be in jeopardy of being rescheduled, though the plans right now are to take the field on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST as expected. The reason for that is because Houston is currently dealing with a COVID-19 case, which caused them to shut their facility down Thursday and place several players on their Reserve/ Covid-19 list.
It was initially announced that linebacker Jacob Martin would be the first player going on the Texans Reserve/ COVID-19 list after word broke about the facilities shut down, but later two other players joined him. Those players were fellow linebackers Whitney Mercilus and Dylan Cole for contact tracing reasons. As a result all will miss Sunday’s game against the Jags.
After the news broke out about the Texans’ situation, the team released the following statement:
“We were informed last night that a Texans player has tested positive for COVID-19. In consultation with the NFL and medical experts, we have made the decision to close the facility and conduct all operations virtually today. The player immediately self-isolated and contact tracing has begun. We will follow the NFL’s intensive protocols and guidance regarding the team’s operations. The health and safety of our team, as well as our entire staff, are of highest priority.”
The situation is unfortunate all the way around, but the biggest loss is that of Mercilus, who has started in six of seven games for the Texans this season. Much like the Jags’, their defense already is struggling and not having a pass-rusher of Mercilus’ caliber certainly doesn’t help. That said, Jags rookie quarterback Jake Luton now has one less star to deal with as he’s set to start in his first game.
