Colts-Titans Thursday night game in flux after Indy places LB on COVID list
By Adam Weinrib
One day before the Colts are set to play the Tennessee Titans in primetime, they now must undergo a rapid speed testing and tracing endeavor.
Remember when we made our thoughts very clear on the Colts’ “Nightmare November” slate? Perhaps we were understating things.
As COVID-19 cases rise throughout both the country and the sports world, professional and otherwise, the Indianapolis Colts proved on Wednesday they were unable to escape the onrush.
The team placed linebacker Matthew Adams on the Reserve/COVID-19 list this afternoon, just over 24 hours prior to their scheduled primetime divisional contest against the Tennessee Titans, a team that knows all too well how difficult it is to curb an outbreak.
And now, ahead of tomorrow’s game, the warp speed testing-and-tracing-and-isolating race begins.
We have placed LB Matthew Adams on the Reserve/COVID-19 List. pic.twitter.com/Vbhr6ztSVZ
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) November 11, 2020
Adams, an ancillary member of this roster, has only played in three games in 2020, only cracking the stat sheet in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Jaguars with a solo tackle.
If the Colts are adhering to protocols, though, this transaction means a quick and thorough isolation of all of Adams’ “close contacts” — does that mean the entire linebacking corps? Darius Leonard? What other segments of the defense were affected in practice?
It’s also worth noting that, if Indy rushes into competition on Thursday unabated, we could see the same slow-swirling disaster we witnessed when the Patriots were shipped off to Kansas City following Cam Newton’s positive test.
Though the team convinced us they’d taken all necessary precautions, Stephon Gilmore still tested positive a few days later after being photographed up close and personal, mask-less and helmet-less, exchanging pleasantries with Patrick Mahomes.
This isn’t even the Colts’ first brush with the illness this week, of course, and the team’s protocols have reportedly been escalated following a staffer’s positive test last week.
The Colts have been in “intensive protocol” in recent days, ostensibly stemming from last week’s positive test by a staff member. Whether Adams’ situation also played a role is unclear. Intensive protocol adds additional safety measures on top of the standard COVID-19 rules.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) November 11, 2020
If Adams’ test is the only fallout, and he’s asymptomatic, then the team will play as scheduled on Thursday.
This is very much an uncomfortable hurdle to be battling one day before a crucial rivalry game, however.
