Getty Jordan Ta'amu
With a COVID-19 outbreak happening within the Washington Football Team’s roster, the NFC East squad is bringing aboard a former Kansas City Chief as insurance.
Washington has signed quarterback Jordan Ta’amu to its practice squad, according to the NFL’s official transaction wire.
#WFT QB Kyle Allen will be placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list today, sources say. Taylor Heinicke still on track to play but he’s banged up.
Kyle Shurmur is on the practice squad. Team signed QB Jordan Ta’amu to the practice squad, per agent @kenny_zuckerman.
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WFT is experiencing a severe COVID outbreak prior to their Sunday, December 18 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The team placed three more players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday, December 16, making it 21 players from the team that have been placed on the list in Week 15, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
After adding S Kam Curl, C Keith Ismael, C Tyler Larsen to the Reserve/COVID19 list, the WFT now has 21 total players on the list.
Despite the outbreak, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced on Wednesday that there had been no discussion about moving any of Week 15’s games up until that point, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, with the Saturday, December 18 game between the Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders at the forefront of that discussion due to a major outbreak in Cleveland this week as well.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, live now on @nflnetwork, says there has been no discussion on moving the #Browns #Raiders game in light of the COVID outbreak in Cleveland. “We feel confident with continuing changes and adaptions to our protocols we can do that.”
Ta’amu’s NFL Career, Why Chiefs Cut Ties
Ta’amu originally joined Kansas City back in 2020 after a successful stint in the XFL in which he completed 72.4% of his passes for 1,050 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions, per the Football Database.
Ta’amu was waived by the Chiefs following the 2020 preseason and then signed to the team’s practice squad. He was released from the team again on October 27, signed a reserve/futures contract with the Chiefs on January 12, 2021, and was waived on May 10, per Pro Football Talk.
Ta’amu most recently played for the Lions during the 2021 preseason.
Pulled two minutes of film on new #Chiefs quarterback Jordan Ta’amu. Dual-threat QB from XFL. Finished third in passing, seventh in rushing. Classic QB style that Reid likes and much closer to Patrick Mahomes’ manner than Chad Henne. You see that here.
The Chiefs have opted to stick with one quarterback on their practice squad for the 2021 season, with that player being Shane Buechele. The team has opted to use a practice squad protection on him consistently during this season, as his familiarity with this system would become beneficial if Patrick Mahomes or Chad Henne — the only quarterbacks on the active roster — had to miss time for some reason.
Chiefs Make Roster Moves Ahead of TNF vs. Chargers
Prior to Kansas City’s Week 15 outing against the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday, December 16, they promoted defensive back Zayne Anderson from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Tuesday, December 14, per his agent, David Canter of GSE Worldwide.
This will be the second game Anderson is active for this season. The last was in the season-opening win over the Browns.
Linebacker Willie Gay was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday, December 15, and was ruled out for Thursday’s game against Los Angeles on the team’s final injury report for Week 15. Defensive tackle Chris Jones and wide receiver Josh Gordon were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list earlier in the week, however, they have yet to be ruled out for the game, which gives them a chance to suit up in the pivotal AFC West matchup.
#Chiefs in COVID protocols:
WR Josh Gordon
DT/DE Chris Jones
LB Willie Gay
L’Jarius Sneed, who missed Kansas City’s Week 14 game against the Raiders due to the death of his brother, has also been ruled out for the Week 15 outing, putting the Chiefs down two of their best defenders. That’s significant in a game in which the defending AFC champions face a Chargers squad that already has one win against the Chiefs this season and are just one game back from first place in the AFC West.