Raiders send starting O-Line home due to potential COVID-19 exposure originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Las Vegas Raiders are now the latest NFL team to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
On Wednesday, right tackle Trent Brown was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19, and following the move, the team opted to send home the entire starting offensive line due to their proximity to Brown in recent days, head coach Jon Gruden told the media.
As of now, Gruden explained that his biggest concern is the health of Brown, but there is also worries about the exposure the rest of the team faces. As they begin contact tracing, the offensive line was sent home as they are the players who are the closest to Brown when at the team facility and in practice.
Las Vegas is coming off a bye in Week 6, meaning there was no additional contact between their players and others around the league. The team is scheduled to face the Tampa Buccaneers in Las Vegas on Sunday night. At this time, there is no update on the game.
Should additional testing show more positives for the team, it would mark another week in which the league is forced to shuffle games due to coronavirus cases. With the Raiders already past their bye, the reconfiguring of the schedule could become even more challenging.
If Las Vegas is without key members of the offensive line on Sunday, those stepping up in their absence with be given a tough task in stopping Tampa Bay's defensive front that dominated Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in Week 6.
