TAMPA, Florida – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without three key members in Sunday’s defense against the Atlanta Falcons.
Home defender Devin White, outfielder Shaq Barrett and defensive back Steve McLendon were placed on the reserve list / COVID-19 on Friday.
Placing on the list means that a player was either positive or considered close contact with someone who did.
Bucs does not reveal who is positive, but Barrett, a Pro Bowler in 2019, reached the list as a close contact, his wife wrote on Instagram.
“Shaquil’s is negative and has been all week [he] it was in the immediate vicinity of someone who gave positive results. So he will be in quarantine for the next five days, “Jordanna Barrett posted.
“I can’t control other people’s actions. Only ours. No matter how confident we were … and respecting all possible precautions. Sometimes people choose other choices that lead to unfair circumstances. But be sure of everyone who asks. We weren’t the ones who were reckless and exposed the team. So for the crazy fans … some things are out of our control. That’s what it is. Shaquil will be back in the playoffs. “
The NFL’s COVID-19 protocols state that close contact that continues to give negative results for five consecutive days can return to the team. But if a player tests positive, he must wait at least 10 days from when his positive test was collected – or more if he has symptoms – and must be released by a doctor, which would jeopardize that player’s availability for the playoffs. .
White’s 140 attacks are third in the league, and his nine sacks – including three two weeks ago, when the Bucs last played the Falcons – are a tall team. Barrett has eight sacks, he and White representing over 36% of the Bucs’ total this season.
The Bucs acquired McLendon from the New York Jets in October to help replace Vita Vea, who landed in the injured reserve in Week 5 and helped maintain their base as the league’s top defense.
Placing the trio on the reserve list / COVID-19 has nothing to do with defensive coordinator Todd Bowles’ COVID-19 scare this week, which was caused by a false positive test of close contact. Bucs anticipates that Bowles will be able to return to coach on Sunday.
The Bushmen have already won a place in the playoffs, but huge implications remain for Sunday’s match. With a win against the Falcons, the Bucs would secure their fifth seed in the NFC, which would mean they would face the still-decided winner of a weak NFC East. If they lose on Sunday and the Los Angeles Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals, the Bucs would face the Seattle Seahawks (11-4), the New Orleans Saints (11-4) or the Green Bay Packers (12-3).