TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without three key members of their defense against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Inside linebacker Devin White, outside linebacker Shaq Barrett and defensive lineman Steve McLendon were placed on the reserve / COVID-19 list on Friday.
Listing means that a player has tested positive or is considered close contact with someone who has.
The Bucs do not disclose who tests positive, but Barrett, a 2019 Pro Bowler, ended up on the list as a close contact, his wife wrote on Instagram.
“Shaquil’s is negative and has been all week [he] was around someone who tested positive. So he will be in quarantine for the next five days, ‘posted Jordanna Barrett.
“We have no control over other people’s actions. Only our own. Regardless of how safe we have been … and taking every precaution. Sometimes people choose different choices that result in unfair circumstances. But rest assured that everyone asks. “We weren’t. The ones who were reckless and showed the team. So for the crazy fans … some things we can’t control. It is what it is. Shaquil is coming back for the playoffs.”
The NFL’s COVID-19 protocols state that close contact that continues to test negative for five days in a row can return to the team. But if a player tests positive, he must wait at least 10 days since his positive test is collected – or longer if he experiences symptoms – and be approved by a doctor, which would compromise that player’s availability for the playoffs bring.
White’s 140 tackles are in third place in the league and his nine sacks – including three two weeks ago when the Bucs last played against the Falcons – are a team high. Barrett has eight sacks, with he and White representing more than 36% of the Bucs team this season.
The Bucs took over McLendon from the New York Jets in October to replace Vita Vea, who landed on the injured reserve in Week 5, and he helped hold their position as the best-placed run defense of the league.
The trio’s placement on the reserve / COVID-19 list is unrelated to defensive coordinator Todd Bowles’ COVID-19 fear this week, which was triggered by a false positive test of close contact. The Bucs expect Bowles to return to coach on Sunday.
The Bucs have already secured a playoff spot, but huge implications remain for Sunday’s game. With a win against the Falcons, the Bucs would secure the fifth seed in the NFC, meaning they would take on the yet to be decided winner of a weak NFC East. If they lose on Sunday and the Los Angeles Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals, the Bucs would face Seattle Seahawks (11-4), New Orleans Saints (11-4) or Green Bay Packers (12-3).