All season, Seattle Seahawks fans have celebrated more than just their team's first-place standing in the NFC West. They have celebrated every day when another sun sets and still (almost unbelievably) the Seahawks have remained unscathed from the dreaded reserve/COVID-19 list. While, by my count, 218 players were placed on the list for positive tests or close contact, Seattle had zero.
But with the addition Saturday of Seahawks defensive tackle Bryan Mone to the list, the team became just like everyone else. The Seahawks did not indicate whether Mone was placed on the list because of close contact with a player on another team who has tested positive (although the NFL thus far has claimed that this does not happen), or if it was because he tested positive himself.
With that updated information, let's take a look at how our teams are stacking up:
The latest numbers mean the Seahawks have joined the Los Angeles Rams, the Washington Football Team, and the New York Jets in placing only one player on the reserve/COVID-19 list so far. (This data is based on when teams or the league announce official placements on the list, and it does not include any players possibly added to the list on Sunday.)
No team is safe. Playing football in the middle of a pandemic is not safe. Despite the rhetoric promoted by the league and many NFL reporters, playing football right now is even more dangerous than it usually is.
By my count, there are almost 40 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list representing 19 teams. There are games on TV this Sunday, but that doesn't mean there isn't an ongoing outbreak in the league. There absolutely is. Every single team has had a player on the list.
If there’s anything you think we should know, Defector can always be reached at tips@defector.com and I can be reached at kelsey@defector.com. Or, for added security, text us on the Signal app at 929-251-8187.
