Nov. 18 (UPI) — A Los Angeles Rams player has tested positive for COVID-19 and his teammates now will meet virtually ahead of their Week 11 Monday Night Football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team said.
The Rams announced the positive test result late Tuesday. Los Angeles had previously not announced any positive tests for players since the season began.
“The player immediately entered self-quarantine and out of an abundance of caution, we are entering intensive protocol,” the Rams said. “Other than select players with assigned rehab, all football activities will take place remotely on Wednesday.
“Players and coaches will conduct their normal meeting schedule from home. This decision was made in consultation with the NFL and medical officials as the health and safety of the team is our highest priority.”
Rookie linebacker Terrell Lewis was the last Rams player to test positive, but that result surfaced during training camp. Rams center Brian Allen and tackle Andrew Whitworth also tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this year, but have since recovered.
The Rams hosted the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday and did not have practice on Monday or Tuesday. The team had a walk-through session scheduled for Wednesday before the decision was made to work from players’ and coaches’ respective homes.
The NFL on Tuesday announced that monitoring testing results from Nov. 8 to 14 featured 17 new confirmed positive tests among players and 35 among other personnel. The league said 95 players and 175 personnel members had confirmed positive cases from Aug. 1 to Saturday.
About 645,000 tests were administered to players and personnel during that time frame.
The 52 positive results from the latest round of testing were just four fewer than the league’s highest total for a week this season after the NFL announced 56 confirmed positives from Nov. 1 to 7.
The Washington Football Team and New York Giants also announced Tuesday morning that they had one player apiece test positive for COVID-19 on Monday. Those teams also plan to meet virtually this week while the players self-isolate.
The Giants on Tuesday placed kicker Graham Gano on the reserve/COVID-19 list, while Washington placed defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis on their reserve/COVID-19 list.
The Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday put defensive end Clelin Ferrell and defensive back Lamarcus Joyner on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
The Kansas City Chiefs on Monday placed three offensive linemen on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers, and Tennessee on Monday also placed one player apiece on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Washington hosts the Cincinnati Bengals at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. The Browns host the Philadelphia Eagles at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland. The Titans face the Baltimore Ravens at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
The Vikings host the Dallas Cowboys at 4:25 p.m. EST on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
The Raiders host the Chiefs at 8:20 p.m. EST on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nev. The Rams face the Buccaneers at 8:15 p.m. EST on Monday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
The Giants and 49ers have Week 11 byes.
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