What the NFL COVID-19 list looks like ahead of the Wild Card round

The 2022 NFL Playoffs get underway Saturday afternoon and after a wild final couple month of the season, it would appear the NFL has come out of its COVID-19 issues. That’s not to say personnel aren’t testing positive for the coronavirus, but the league has changed protocols enough to reach a point where they are getting players back on the field quicker than before.

In the final two months of the regular season, teams were regular dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks that cost them significant numbers of players. The league and players first adjusted the testing process to allow vaccinated players to return quicker if they are asymptomatic. Then, when the CDC changed its guidelines from ten days of quarantine to five for all asymptomatic people, the league and players adjusted that as well. That has resulted in fewer players spending any kind of significant time on the list.

Heading into Wild Card weekend, seven players are on the reserve/COVID-19 list among playoff teams. Considering at one point Washington had nearly that many players from their defensive line room on the COVID-19 list, that’s saying something. The most notable name is Patriots starting cornerback Jalen Mills.

Cincinnati Bengals

LB Akeem Davis-Gaither — Jan 4
LB Jordan Evans — Jan 3

Las Vegas Raiders

None

Buffalo Bills

None

New England Patriots

CB Jalen Mills — Jan 11
CB Shaun Wade — Jan 10

Philadelphia Eagles

None

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

None

Dallas Cowboys

LB Jayron Kearse — Jan 8

San Francisco 49ers

None

Kansas City Chiefs

TE Mark Vital — Jan 7

Pittsburgh Steelers

LB Buddy Johnson — Jan 13

Los Angeles Rams

None

Arizona Cardinals

None