The Washington Football Team placed starting defensive tackle Daron Payne on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Sunday, the seventh player added since the start of training camp.
A day earlier, All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff and offensive tackle David Sharpe were added to the list. They followed wide receiver Curtis Samuel, defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis, offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas and defensive back Chris Miller.
Washington has received criticism for its roster’s low vaccination rate. At the start of last week, only about 60 percent of the roster had received the COVID-19 vaccine.
Washington’s entire coaching staff is vaccinated, but because so many of his players aren’t, coach Ron Rivera has continued to wear a mask around the team’s facility. Rivera is at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19 despite the vaccine because he is a cancer survivor.
“I’m truly frustrated. I’m beyond frustrated. Part of the reason I walk in with a mask on is I’m immune-deficient,” Rivera said earlier in the week. “I just hope that our guys can understand that.”
Payne, 24, started all 16 games for Washington last season and collected 54 tackles, three sacks, three forced fumbles and four passes defensed. A first-round pick in 2018, Payne has appeared in 47 games in three seasons with 41 starts, anchoring a defensive front seven considered one of the most talented in the NFL.
–Field Level Media