Aug. 31—The COVID chaos surrounding the Indianapolis Colts was avoidable.
Of the five players placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list in the past two weeks, four reportedly are designated as high-risk close contacts — a status that isn’t part of NFL protocols this season for vaccinated players.
As the regular season nears and games start to count, that’s the kind of topic that has potential to create a rift in the locker room. But the Colts insisted again Tuesday they are not going to allow that to happen.
“Everybody respects each other’s decisions,” said defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who has publicly stated he is vaccinated. “Everybody has the right to get vaccinated or stay unvaccinated. Everybody has their reasons why. As a man, as a person, you have to respect those decisions. The league, they have the protocols and the requirements for unvaccinated folks and vaccinated folks, and we just have to do our job by abiding by those protocols.
“I feel like we did a really good job last year throughout the season, and I believe we can do it the same this year.”
While the Colts avoided a major virus outbreak on the roster in 2020, COVID still managed to take a toll.
Buckner and defensive end Denico Autry were on the reserve list for a critical November loss at home against the Tennessee Titans, and right tackle Braden Smith was unavailable for a December road loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers that also saw left tackle Anthony Castonzo out with an injury.
Winning either of those contests would have given Indianapolis the AFC South championship and a first-round home game in the postseason. Instead the team traveled to face the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round and ended the season with a 27-24 defeat.
Monday’s news quarterback Carson Wentz, center Ryan Kelly and wide receiver Zach Pascal were added to the reserve/COVID-19 list was a stark reminder of the potential danger that lies ahead. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported all three players are considered close contacts — a fact the team cannot confirm — and can return by early next week if they continue to produce negative tests.
That would keep them on track for the Sept. 12 opener against the Seattle Seahawks, but more problems with the virus next week likely would not end with the same result. The Colts have one of the NFL’s lowest vaccination rates — with the most recent estimate suggesting about 75% of the roster has been fully vaccinated — and are therefore at greater risk for personnel losses that could impact games.
The risk is compounded by the belief several of the team’s best players are not yet vaccinated — a subject that has resulted in a firestorm with a vocal part of the fanbase.
“We said at the beginning of the year that whatever happens, we’re not going to let it be a distraction,” head coach Frank Reich said. “We understand at some level when things happen — on the outside it is a distraction at some level. But if we are able to internally stay together as a team and stay focused on preparing for the next opponent — and for us, now that we are at this point in the season all that really matters is the next opponent. So that’s just going to be the mindset that we take.
“Circumstances are dealt to you individually and as a team, that you have to learn how to not flinch and just move forward and go with it. I think our guys are determined to do that. It doesn’t mean that we aren’t trying to get better, trying to improve, trying to reduce the number of variables that are out there. We’ll follow the protocols. We’ll do everything to the letter of the law. We’ll continue to educate. We’ll continue to talk to people. But that’s where we’re at. It’s not going to be a distraction.”
Buckner pointed out vaccination is not a cure all. Players and coaches with that status still are subject to a 10-day quarantine for a positive test, and Indianapolis already has had at least three breakthrough infections this summer.
But the medical data is clear vaccinations reduce risk across the board. The most recent numbers released by the NFL Players Association — covering testing from Aug. 1 through Aug. 21 — showed unvaccinated players (2.1%) are seven times more likely to test positive than vaccinated peers (.3%).
Wentz has found himself at the center of the controversy. Though he has declined to speak about his vaccination status, it is widely believed he is unvaccinated.
If that remains true, the Colts could be vulnerable at the game’s most important position throughout the season.
Reich insists he’s encouraged players to get the shots, but he also believes in the importance of each man making his own choice.
“What I can say is that I know every one of our players cares very deeply about this team,” Reich said. “Every one of our players who is here knows that we’re on a mission. I really believe that every one of these players are a team-first guy. There’s complexities to life. It’s not easy, right? You’ve got to deal with the complexities of life and some of these decisions, and you work through it as a family.
“That’s the only way we know how to do it. We’re working through it as a family. We believe in our guys, and we believe our guys are team-first guys.”