Tyler Lockett, Alex Collins stay on Seahawks COVID list. Von Miller comes off it for Rams
The Seahawks entered a must-win game with one of the players that most wins games.
Leading receiver Tyler Lockett, with Hall of Famer Steve Largent Seattle’s only receivers with three straight 1,000-yard seasons, remained on the reserve/COVID-19 list through the team’s postponed game Tuesday at the Los Angeles Rams.
So Russell Wilson was left with DK Metcalf as the top receiving threat for the game Seattle had to win to keep its slim playoff hopes alive.
Los Angeles’ defense could have All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey shadow Lockett, as he often does in games between these division rivals, without the Rams having Lockett to worry about Tuesday.
General manager John Schneider said on the Seahawks’ radio network’s pregame show the team had a private plane ready Tuesday to rush Lockett down the coast to southern California. But the wide receiver did not test negative Tuesday morning.
Ramsey came off the COVID list Sunday, the day for which this game was originally scheduled. He was one of 16 Rams to test negatively two times and get off the COVID list, after 29 L.A. players went on it last week. Star pass rusher Von Miller came off the COVID list Tuesday to play against Seattle.
The Seahawks had nine players go on the COVID list and none come off since Thursday, the day Lockett and season rushing leader Alex Collins tested positive for the coronavirus.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll was asked Friday if he felt victimized by the postponement of the game to Tuesday, after the Seahawks took precautions and went until last week and the spread of the Omicron variant with just one confirmed COVID case in two years of the pandemic.
“I can’t do anything about that,” Carroll said.
“I just wish nobody was getting sick.”
Seattle was also without starting cornerback D.J. Reed because of COVID. That was an issue with NFL receiving leader Cooper Kupp coming at likely fill-in starter Bless Austin and the Seahawks’ secondary.
The Seahawks had just two players inactive for the game, because of seven players from the active roster still on the COVID list. Those two inactives were third quarterback Jacob Eason and backup center Dakoda Shepley.
The showy Metcalf, by the way, was sporting blonde hair instead of the blue dye he’s had all Seahawks season.
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This story was originally published December 21, 2021 at 3:15 PM.
