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Bosses replace Laurent Duvernay-Tardif with veteran Kelechi Osemele
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Justin Jefferson, the 22nd pick in this year’s draft, was one of four Vikings players to be placed on the team’s reserve / COVID-19 list on Monday. The league’s recently implemented reserve / COVID-19 list includes players who tested positive for the virus or who were quarantined after being in close contact with an infected person or people. If a player falls into any of the categories, his team is required to immediately place the player on the list. Teams are not allowed, in accordance with the policy agreed by the NFL-NFLPA, to comment on the player’s medical condition in addition to referring to cuts in the roster. Additionally, teams cannot reveal whether a player is quarantined or positive for COVID-19.
Earlier in the day, the Vikings announced that Eric Sugarman, the team’s vice president of sports medicine training and the club’s infection control officer, tested positive for COVID-19 along with members of his family. The four players named on the team’s reserve / COVID-19 list have had no contact with Sugarman, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The fifth catcher selected in this year’s draft, the 6-foot-1, 201-pound Jefferson, comes from a prolific final season with the LSU Tigers. Last fall, Jefferson caught 111 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns while helping the Tigers end an undefeated season. The Vikings hope Jefferson can help replace Stefon Diggs, who was traded to the Bills earlier this offseason.
The Vikings were not the only NFL team to place the players on their reserve / COVID-19 list on Monday. The Jaguars put four rookies – cornerback Luq Barcoo, defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton, cornerback Josiah Scott and offensive lineman Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms on the list. Another notable rookie, Buccaneers third-round pick Ke’Shawn Vaughn, was placed on the club’s reserve / COVID-19 list. Vaughn, who ran for 2,272 yards and 21 touchdowns during his last season at Vanderbilt, is expected to compete for playing time alongside current starter Ronald Jones.
On Friday, Chiefs guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif became the first NFL player to choose not to participate in the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of playing for the defending champion Chiefs in 2020, Duvernay-Tardif, who graduated from medical school in the spring of 2018, will focus his efforts on fighting the ongoing pandemic. Two other players, Seahawks offensive lineman Chance Warmack and Ravens wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas, have also chosen to accept the league’s opt-out clause.
NFL teams were allowed to start training camp on July 28. The league, despite the ongoing pandemic, is hopeful that it can complete its typical season which is expected to include an expanded playoff format. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued the following message on Monday through his Twitter account.
“While this year will be forever defined by a heartbreaking global pandemic and a transformative social justice movement, I remember the tenacious and resilient spirit of our country, the NFL community and you, the best fans in the world.”
