Former Wildcat Rashawn Slater Among More Than 70 Players on NFL COVID List
Los Angeles Chargers rookie tackle Rashawn Slater tested positive for COVID on Monday amid a surge of positive tests across the NFL.
According to ESPN, Slater was one of 37 players placed on the NFL’s COVID list Monday — a single-day high for the league — making him one of more than 70 players currently on their team’s respective COVID lists.
Chargers place starting left tackle Rashawn Slater on COVID-19 reserve list https://t.co/oQ8dkKLEZ0
— L.A. Times Sports (@latimessports) December 13, 2021
Chargers head coach Brandon Staley told ESPN that Slater could still play in the team’s Week 15 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday if he produces two negative tests in a 24-hour time period, per NFL COVID protocol.
According to the Los Angeles Times, however, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, who became the first player to test positive and return to play during the same week earlier this month, did so over six days. Given the Chargers' Thursday night contest, Slater is unlikely to be cleared in time.
This means the Chargers will take on the Chiefs without a key piece of their offense in a must-win game: Los Angeles will take the AFC West with a victory over Kansas City, giving the team its first division title since 2009. While they are currently a win behind their opponents, the Chargers (8-5) did beat the Chiefs (9-4) in Kansas City in Week 3, and will also have home field advantage in Thursday night's game.
OT Trep Pipkins slated to replace Rashawn Slater (COVID-19) if Slater can't go Thursday for Chargers vs. Chiefs, via @Kay_Breezy22 https://t.co/eLhpAWZB8d pic.twitter.com/tjAuXLdamU
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) December 14, 2021
CBS reports that Slater is one of two players currently on the Chargers’ COVID list. He joins backup center Scott Quessenberry, who tested positive on Dec. 9. The Chiefs currently list three players out for COVID protocol: tight end Jody Fortson, wide receiver Josh Gordon, and defensive tackle Chris Jones.
Los Angeles selected Slater as the No. 13 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Northwestern. The former Wildcat is the only player on the Chargers' offense who has played all 838 offensive snaps, according to ESPN.
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Alyssa Haduck is a reporter for Wildcats Daily on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. She has also written for the Washington Football Team, the United States Golf Association, and the University of Maryland athletic department. Haduck is currently a graduate student studying sports journalism at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.