CINCINNATI — The Bengals placed backup quarterback Brandon Allen and cornerback Darius Phillips on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday.
Allen is the only quarterback outside of Joe Burrow on the Bengals roster. The COVID list designation means Allen cannot participate in team activities until registering a negative test or meeting a certain threshold of testing as outlined by the NFL.
The natural concern will be that he could have passed on the virus to Burrow, with whom he works closely on the sidelines on gameday and in the film/workout rooms the rest of the week.
The NFL recently changed its COVID testing protocols from testing everyone once per week to a new program that removes that requirement and instead targets symptomatic individuals. Anyone who shows symptoms, vaccinated or not, will be isolated and tested immediately. Those who are not showing symptoms will be subject to "targeted testing" in which a specific group of individuals are tested on a rotating basis.
Players may also test voluntarily whenever they wish.
Chances are Burrow will be tested as a precaution this week if he hasn't already been.
Burrow is coming off a historic performance, throwing for 525 yards to handily beat the division rival Baltimore Ravens, which played with a backup quarterback as a result of a COVID list designation also.
Burrow recently said the team had done well with COVID protocols because "there is not a ton to do" in Cincinnati. Here's to hoping he stays COVID-free to avoid the proverbial jinx.
The Bengals are in the driver's seat for a playoff spot in the AFC North at 9-6, leading the 8-7 Ravens, 7-7-1 Steelers and 7-8 Browns. They face the red hot Kansas City Chiefs (11-4, First place overall in the AFC) on Sunday.
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