BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens put quarterback Tyler Huntley on the reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday, leaving them without their top two QBs for Sunday’s showdown at Cincinnati for first place in the AFC North.

Lamar Jackson missed last week’s game with a sprained ankle, and the Ravens announced this weekend that he would not travel with the team. Huntley played well in Jackson’s place in last weekend’s loss to Green Bay, but now Josh Johnson is the team’s top healthy quarterback.

The Ravens signed the 35-year-old journeyman Johnson before last week’s game. He appeared in three games earlier this season for the New York Jets.

It’s been one major blow after another for the Ravens ever since running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards went down with season-ending knee injuries before the season even began. Baltimore has more than a dozen players on injured reserve and several more on the COVID-19 list.

The Ravens (8-6) have managed to hold at least a share of first place for almost the whole season, but they would fall out with a loss to the Bengals (8-6). Baltimore activated quarterback Kenji Bahar from the practice squad.

Cincinnati got back CB Chidobe Awuzie from the COVID-19 list, but also had to place two defensive linemen, D.J. Reader and Wyatt Ray, on that list.

Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni has cleared the NFL’s COVID-19 testing protocol and will be on the sideline for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. The team said Sirianni returned to its facility on Saturday morning.

The Eagles (7-7) are hoping to secure a playoff spot with a strong finish to the season. They have won two in a row and four of five overall.

New York Jets coach Robert Saleh was ruled out for the game against the Jaguars because he didn’t clear COVID-19 protocols Saturday. Tight ends coach Ron Middleton will assume the head coaching duties.

Saleh tested positive for the coronavirus Wednesday and needed to have two negative tests by Saturday afternoon to return to the sideline. The coach has been quarantining in a hotel while running team meetings remotely.

The first-year head coach said he called Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski earlier in the week to get some feedback on how he handled not being on the sideline twice because of COVID-19: a playoff game last season and the Browns’ 16-14 loss to Las Vegas last week.

“He said, ‘Well, everything is going to be fine. It’s all virtual anyway. You’re just going to miss practice, but Sunday is going to be miserable,’” Saleh said of his conversation with Stefanski. “So, I’m looking for misery.”

Quarterbacks coach Rob Calabrese will miss the game because of COVID-19 protocols. Senior offensive assistant Matt Cavanaugh will assume Calabrese’s game-day duties.

The Jets have been hit particularly hard this week by a surge of COVID-19 cases. There were 18 players on the active and practice squad rosters — including injured reserve — on the COVID-19 list Saturday. They elevated tight end Dan Brown, wide receiver DJ Montgomery, offensive lineman Isaiah Williams, defensive lineman Ronnie Blair, linebacker LaRoy Reynolds and safety Elijah Benton from the practice squad.

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The NFL is almost back to business as usual — for vaccinated players.

The NFL and NFL Players Association have updated COVID-19 protocols to loosen restrictions for fully vaccinated players and to encourage others to get the vaccine.

Unvaccinated players must continue to get daily testing, wear masks and practice physical distancing. They won’t be allowed to eat meals with teammates, can’t participate in media or marketing activities while traveling, aren’t permitted to use the sauna or steam room and may not leave the team hotel or interact with people outside the team while traveling.

Vaccinated players will not have any of those restrictions, according to a memo sent to teams on Wednesday that was obtained by The Associated Press.

Media access to the press box, field and sidelines, locker room and postgame interview room will be available only to media members who are fully vaccinated.

Several players have expressed concerns about receiving the vaccine. The updated protocols give them more incentive to get it.

Players can be fined up to $50,000 for violating protocols.

Washington pass rusher Montez Sweat said last week he “probably won’t get vaccinated until I got more facts and that type of stuff, but I’m not a fan of it at all.”

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold previously said he didn't plan to get the vaccine.

“Obviously, they agreed to those terms for a reason," Darnold said about the new protocols. "A lot of smart people came up with those restrictions and obviously they are there for a reason. In terms of my decision (on whether) to get vaccinated, I’m just going to keep that to myself. For me, it’s a personal decision that I’m going to make between me and people around me. So I’m just going to keep it within me and my tight circle. Those decisions are being made by very smart people and people that know what they’d doing obviously.”

Teams have brought in experts to discuss the vaccine with players and staff.

“They’re doing a great job of continuing to educate us and giving us resources and then kind of giving us the option to make that informed decision with where we’re at personally and go from there,” Minnesota Vikings wide reciever Adam Thielen said.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was asked if other players have spoken to him about the vaccine because he was a biology major at Oregon.

“I haven’t talked to too many people about it," he said. "There’s a small group of guys that have been vaccinated, and I’ve been vaccinated. I thought if it’s available to be able to do all these things, it would help me in the long run. I think it’s better for everyone, but it’s up to everyone. So it’s their opinion. I think it’s a tough situation regardless, but nobody’s asked me too much.”

The vaccine has been a big issue for the Buffalo Bills throughout the offseason, with coaches and management pushing for vaccination to ease restrictions and players not wanting to talk about it.

“We feel like we know that in our country and around the league where and how things are improving, and to me there’s a direct correlation to people getting vaccinated,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. "I would like to continue to see our team move in that direction, continue to move an increased number of people that are getting vaccinated. ... It’s good to have the guys here, but I think the reality of our situation is that now — but also for sure come the fall, training camp — protocols are going to continue to be enforced, in particular for those who are unvaccinated as it relates to the masking and the different things that are in place. Just trying to be real about it and make sure people understand what normal is gonna look like, in particular for those who are unvaccinated come the fall.”