Risky Behavior? Maskless Players, COVID-19, and Saints Playoffs

Two prominent players for the New Orleans Saints have been maskless at events in the New Orleans area. Both tested positive for COVID-19 and may affect the Saints playoff seeding chase on Sunday.

Did two of the New Orleans Saints young stars place the team's playoff future at risk? Last week, second-year defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list with a positive test. The team announced on Jan. 1, 2021, their starting running back Alvin Kamara had COVID-19 after two positive tests confirmed his health status. Kamara and Gardner-Johnson will be missing from the lineups in Carolina.  Also will be missing is the entire Saints running backs room.

The problem.  Both players, Kamara and Gardner-Johnson, may have placed their team and teammates at risk. 

Photos of the players have been posted on Instagram of them at recent events. 

Both were maskless. 

Alvin Kamara maskless with Kids on Bikes on Kamara's Instagram Story

Sean Payton has been consistent since his diagnosis of COVID-19 during the Spring of 2020. The Saints head coach also stressed to his players the importance of wearing masks and not having risky behavior throughout the season. Unfortunately, his message has not resonated throughout the entire locker room.  

Especially puzzling is Alvin Kamara being maskless at this point in the season.  Several Saints players and Coach Payton look at him for his character, leadership, and intelligence.  If you examine the Dwayne Haskins and the Denver Broncos quarterbacks cases, why aren't more players taking the necessary precautions?

Why is this important?  The players' decisions to go maskless may have jeopardized the Saints and their NFC playoff positioning. 

Kamara's close contact with the running backs has affected the entire running backs room, including running backs coach Joel Thomas. The Saints will be forced to use wide receiver Ty Montgomery and rookie practice-squad running back Tony Jones, Jr. in the Carolina Panthers game on Sunday afternoon. 

Credit: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson's Instagram Account - His Birthday Celebration

Defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson was maskless with a group of friends and associates in a kitchen at his birthday celebration on Dec. 20th. Reports say safety D.J. Swearinger was added to the New Orleans reserve/COVID-19 list. The probability of Swearinger being in close contact to Gardner-Johnson may have resulted in his positive test.   

The New Orleans Saints are in a closely contested race with the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks for the top-seed in the 2021 NFC Playoffs. The top seeds in both the NFC and AFC will be the only teams to earn a bye week.  

Here are the scenarios. Sunday, if New Orleans and Seattle win and Green Bay lose, the Saints gain the top seed. If New Orleans, Green Bay, and Seattle should fail, the Saints are the 2nd seeded team. However, if the Saints loses to the Panthers and the Seahawks win, New Orleans will fall to the NFC's 3rd seed.  

I wrote about the importance of teams going into the playoffs should have considered a playoff bubble to protect their players, coaches, staff, and resources in December 2020. It appears the NFL and Saints should have seriously considered Sean Payton's August proposal to the league on "bubbling" the playoff teams.

The rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in Louisiana, the greater New Orleans area, and the National Football League should have players understanding the serious nature of being unprotected without facemasks. Hopefully, for New Orleans, the Saints will find some fortune and gain a first-round bye. If not, tracking through the playoffs without Alvin Kamara could be a problem for a team expected to contend for their second Lombardi Trophy in February.