Four days ago Garrett Gilbert was a member of the New England Patriots’ practice squad. Boy, how the COVID-19 world changes things.
With their game against the Philadelphia Eagles postponed until Tuesday evening, the Washington Football Team is now forced to start Gilbert at quarterback in what is a huge NFC East tilt.
This comes with both Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen on the reserve/COVID-19 list and having failed to pass through protocols mere hours before the game.
- Garrett Gilbert stats (career): 52.3% completion, 283 yards, one touchdown, one interception
You read that right. Gilbert has thrown for all of 283 yards in the regular season since entering the NFL as a sixth-round pick of the then-St. Louis Rams back in 2014. How fun this is going to be for Washington.
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Washington Football Team behind proverbial eight ball with Garrett Gilbert
Washington finds itself at 6-7 and just a half game out of the final wildcard spot in the NFC. It is tied with the aforementioned Eagles in that spot. All of this comes after Washington lost six of its first eight games to open the season.
It’s a less-than-ideal scenario to have to rely on a veteran journeyman with all of four days experience learning a new playbook. The backdrop here is a WFT that has been dealt a bad hand when it comes to COVID-19. Hence, why its Week 15 game was pushed back from Sunday in the first place.
We hate to see something like this potentially derail a season. This also comes on the heels of the Cleveland Browns having to start former practice squad quarterback Nick Mullens Monday against the Las Vegas Raiders with both Baker Mayfield and Case Keenum sidelined to COVID-19. Cleveland lost in close fashion, pretty much ending its playoff hopes in the process.
