Eagles COVID outbreak isn’t devastating for Week 18 just yet

Amid a COVID outbreak, the Philadelphia Eagles could be facing an impossible Week 18 matchup — unless their players are cleared, which is entirely possible. 

A 20-16 victory over Washington allows the Philadelphia Eagles to continue in their playoff quest, but a stark Monday update altered their Week 18 outlook.

According to Tom Pelissero and Mike Garofolo, a dozen Eagles players, including Fletcher Cox, Dallas Goedert and Jason Kelce, have tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. Running backs Jordan Howard and Boston Scott also join the list, as well as at least seven other players.

The news devastates the depth at several different positions, including running back, tight end, linebacker, safety and cornerback.

However, not all hope is lost: per the NFL’s new COVID protocols, all of these players could hypothetically test negative and return before Saturday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Philadelphia Eagles experience COVID outbreak as a dozen players test positive

While several of these players could return, it’s still bad news for the Eagles, and for some players more than others. This is the second time that Dallas Goedert has tested positive for the virus.

Many Eagles fans are relieved that the COVID results came after the win rather than before, as COVID has been the opponent knocking out several teams from playoff contention.

Despite the uptick in cases involving key players, the Eagles have been battling COVID over the past week. On Dec. 27, the team sidelined eight players with COVID-19, and one of them has been activated as of Jan. 3.

Before their Dec. 26 game, Chiefs wideout Tyreek Hill was one of many players involved in a COVID outbreak on the Kansas City squad. However, Hill cleared protocols just four days after he tested positive, playing in that game and helping the Chiefs to win the AFC West.

While all of these players are expected to be cleared come playoffs, the spread of COVID — and its lingering effects on the body — could be a serious concern in the weeks to come. But for now, Eagles fans can remain optimistic that some of these players will return sooner rather than later.