Practice Squad Player Added to COVID List

Defensive back Jamal Carter is the franchise's only player currently sidelined by issues with the coronavirus.

Kim Klement/USA Today Sports

NASHVILLE – Things could be worse. Just ask the Miami Dolphins.

The Tennessee Titans placed defensive back Jamal Carter on the Reserve-COVID 19 list Monday. Carter, a fourth-year veteran, has spent the entire regular season on the practice squad and appeared in one game (he played exclusively on special teams in Week 5 at Jacksonville) as a standard roster elevation.

Carter is the first Titans player to be placed on the COVID list since Kevin Byard was removed seven days earlier. Byard’s return to the active roster left that list empty.

For now, at least, Tennessee’s issues with the coronavirus pale in comparison to those of other franchises.

Miami, for example, removed all three running backs from the active roster and placed them on the Reserve-COVID 19 list. Coach Brian Flores confirmed that all were positive in weekly testing conducted earlier in the day.

The Detroit Lions also had significant issues ahead of their game Sunday against the Denver Broncos (the Lions lost 38-10).

According to an ESPN report, 37 players across the NFL tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.

Carter is the only one of three veteran safeties the Titans added late in training camp who is still with the team. Bradley McDougald opened the season on the practice squad, was quickly promoted to the active roster and started in week 2 at Seattle. Clayton Geathers was released at the end of the preseason.

An undrafted free agent out of Miami in 2017, Carter has played 29 games for Denver, Atlanta and Tennessee. Roughly two-thirds of his playing time has been as a special teams performer.