Getty The NFL's newly implemented COVID-19 rules allowed a group of Buffalo Bills players, including Cole Beasley (L) and Jon Feliciano (R) to return to the active roster way sooner than expected.
Like numerous teams around the league, the Buffalo Bills received an unexpected holiday gift from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday, December 29. After the CDC officially updated their COVID-19 quarantine rules, the NFL followed suit.
Under the league’s updated COVID-19 health and safety protocols, isolation for players who test positive and are asymptomatic has been shortened from 10 days to five days. These updated guidelines suddenly cleared four players from the Bills’ active roster to return way sooner than previously expected.
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Wide receivers Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis, along with guard Jon Feliciano and defensive end A.J. Epenesa, were all able to join the Bills for practice on Wednesday.
We’ve activated WR Cole Beasley, WR Gabriel Davis, OL Jon Feliciano and DE A.J. Epenesa from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. #BillsMafia
Beasley, who’s proudly unvaccinated, previously on Instagram that he was only suffering from “mild symptoms” after testing positive. Based on his vaccination status, under the previous NFL protocols, the earliest the veteran receiver couldn’t return to the team was Friday, December 29. Davis, who’s also unvaccinated, under the old rules, would’ve been unable to play in Week 17 no matter whether he was asymptomatic or not.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott spoke about how the team would go about incorporating the returning players on Wednesday. Bills Wire reporter Maddy Glab tweeted, “McDermott says for the most part the guys coming off the Covid-19 list today will be full participants in practice but notes today is a walkthrough and it’s still on an individual basis.”
2 More Bills Players Remain on the Reserve/COVID-19 List
We’ve placed CB Cam Lewis on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. #BillsMafia
While the new rules obviously offer a huge boost for the Bills heading into Week 17 against the Atlanta Falcons, there are still a few players whose availability status remains up in the air due to COVID-19.
Bills cornerback Cam Lewis tested positive on Monday, December 29, but without knowing if he’s asymptomatic, it’s hard to guess exactly when he’ll be able to return to the active roster.
Buffalo also didn’t provide any updates on offensive lineman Cody Ford, who was placed on the Reserve/COVID -19 list on Friday, December 24.
McDermott Spoke About the Uncertainty of Their Lineup Each Week
GettyHead coach Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills looks on from the sidelines during the second quarter of the game against the Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium on December 19, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York.
The uncertainly of who will be able to play on Sunday is an understandably stressful situation for the entire franchise. 13WHAM reporter tweeted that head coach “Sean McDermott usually says he takes things ‘one day at a time,’ but today he said he’s talking everything ‘one hour at a time.'”
Sean McDermott says really only time players are in the building now is for practice, which has been outside as another way to help be safer against COVID issues.
Meetings are virtual and will be moving forward.
“Unknown player availability day-to-day is something you have to mentally push through,” McDermott added, per One Bills Live host Chris Brown. “We know we’re going to play Sunday, so we have to get ready to go.”
While four players returning to action is great news, the threat of last-minute changes still looms.
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4 Bills Starters Suddenly Cleared from COVID-19 List Before Week 17