COVID updates in sports: Hurricanes-Wild postponed; Brad Marchand, Chris Jones, Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry among big-name additions to protocols
An NHL game has been postponed Tuesday due to COVID and two NFL teams are having major issues.
The COVID news in the sports world isn't getting any better as an NHL game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild on Tuesday was postponed because of an outbreak on the Hurricanes, and the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns are both under siege with the virus, including former LSU teammates and Pro Bowl receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry landing on the COVID list Tuesday. Chris Jones, an All-Pro defensive tackle on the Kansas City Chiefs, also did.
The Hurricanes had positive tests come in for Jordan Staal, Andrei Svechnikov, Ian Cole and Steven Lorentz after Tuesday's morning skate in Minnesota and all four players will remain in the Twin Cities for now. Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and a Carolina trainer are still in Vancouver after testing positive Monday. Carolina's next game is home to Detroit on Thursday, but that's in major jeopardy.
One of the NHL's best players also landed in COVID protocols Tuesday in Boston's Brad Marchand, so he's going to miss tonight's matchup vs. Vegas and several more games. Marchand skated with the team Tuesday morning before ending up in the protocol and was joined on that list by teammate Craig Smith.
The fear is an outbreak could be coming for the Bruins because they just played in Calgary on Saturday and the Flames had multiple players test positive and then three games postponed this week.
From the NFL, the Rams played without a few key players in Monday night's upset at Arizona and now Beckham Jr. is in the protocols after testing positive. He caught a TD pass Monday for the third straight game with L.A. Coach Sean McVay previously said that the team was entering enhanced protocols and the team facility would be closed Tuesday and Wednesday. He told reporters Tuesday that "there's going to be more people that are affected by this." Los Angeles hosts Seattle on Sunday.
The Browns have joined the Rams in the NFL's intensive protocols after Cleveland added eight players to the reserve list Tuesday, including Beckham's good friend Landry. Four other key players placed on the COVID list are right guard Wyatt Teller, tight end Austin Hooper, left tackle Jedrick Wills and No. 3 defensive end Takk McKinley. All of the eight Browns who tested positive Tuesday were vaccinated, according to reports. Cleveland hosts Las Vegas on Saturday and that spread already has dipped a few points.
Kansas City has a huge AFC West game Thursday at the LA Chargers and the Chiefs have put maybe their best defensive player, Jones, on the COVID list. Jones has seven sacks, 14 quarterback hits, and five pass breakups on the year. Kansas City has dropped to -3 vs. the Chargers, who likely will be without left tackle and rookie Rashawn Slater, who landed in protocols Monday.
In the NBA, the Knicks will be without three rotation players in COVID protocols tonight vs. the Warriors. The Chicago Bulls have 10 players in protocols and their games Tuesday vs. Detroit and Thursday vs. Toronto already had been postponed.
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