Six more Seahawks placed on COVID-19 reserve list, including D.J. Reed, Brandon Shell and Travis Homer

The Seahawks placed six more players on the COVID-19 reserve list Sunday, bringing the number of Seattle players on the list to eight with a rescheduled game against the Rams in Los Angeles now two days away.

Placed on the list Sunday were cornerback D.J. Reed, right tackle Brandon Shell, running back Travis Homer, defensive end Kerry Hyder Jr. and two practice squad players, cornerback Mike Jackson and guard Pier-Olivier Lestage. A source confirmed all six were reported as having tested positive.

Those six join receiver Tyler Lockett and running back Alex Collins, both of whom went on the list Thursday.

Lockett, Reed and Shell are all starters while Collins has been starting for much of the season before giving way of late to Rashaad Penny. Hyder is a key part of Seattle’s defensive-end rotation, having started seven games this season and played in all 13.

The NFL last week altered its protocols for players to “test out” and return to play, with asymptomatic players now eligible to be cleared if they have two negative tests in one day. Previously, players needed two negative tests 24 hours apart.

The NFL also announced Saturday that the teams playing in Tuesday’s games will be allowed to make roster moves up until three hours before the scheduled 4 p.m. kickoff.

The Rams, meanwhile, had 23 players on the list as of Sunday afternoon after activating two players, including cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

It was the Rams’ massive outbreak this week that prompted the NFL to reschedule the game for Tuesday afternoon. (The NFL also rescheduled a Las Vegas-Cleveland game set for Saturday to Monday, and a Washington-Philadelphia game set for Sunday to Tuesday.)

But the Rams have gotten six players back in the past two days, including receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and running back Darrell Henderson, as well as Ramsey.

The Seahawks were known to not be happy that the game was moved, though coach Pete Carroll mostly took the high road when he talked to the media about the decision Friday.

Carroll, though, did question if moving the game would actually help to make more players available, and Seattle’s outbreak now seems to confirm that fear.

“One of the things, the assumptions might be — and it’s going to be really fascinating to see what happens here — by changing the game by two days, did more guys get to play in terms of the COVID-19 thing,” Carroll said Friday. “I’m really curious of how that’s going to work. We’ll learn a lot. If that doesn’t happen, then I don’t know why we did it. We’ll see what happens though. Wish everybody the best.”

On Wednesday Carroll said the team did not have any negative tests — the Seahawks have been regularly testing players on Monday and Wednesday. He said Lockett and Collins tested positive on Thursday after feeling symptoms and on Friday he said the team’s general rule has been “you get symptoms, we are supposed to check it out, and test just in case.”

Teams are required to have 44 active players for a game. The Rams and Seahawks each have 70 players on their total roster, including practice squad.

The NFL allows for unlimited call-ups from the practice squad to fill holes left by players on the COVID-19 reserve list.

The NFL on Saturday also announced new protocols for testing, in which vaccinated players will only be tested if they are displaying symptoms, a measure designed at limiting the roster disruptions the NFL experienced this week, with a thought that some players who were placed on lists this week could have played if they hadn’t had a positive test and were not showing symptoms. More than 130 players were placed on the list this week with the NFL stating that it believed most were of the new omicron variant, which it stated it believes is “less severe” than previous variants. The NFL also announced a deadline of Monday for players to opt-out of the rest of the season.

But those changes don’t go into effect until after this weekend’s games.

The Seahawks are scheduled to leave for Los Angeles on Monday, holding practices in Renton over the weekend.

If none of the players are cleared, then the Seahawks would be without their leading receiver in Lockett, two of their top four running backs (Collins/Homer), their starting right tackle (Shell, who is also dealing with a shoulder injury), a key member of their defensive-line rotation (Hyder) and their most consistent cornerback (Reed).

If Reed can’t play then the Seahawks would likely go with Bless Austin alongside Sidney Jones at cornerback. Austin was picked up before the season after being waived by the Jets. He has not started a game for Seattle but played 63 snaps against Arizona after Tre Brown was injured and 28 last week against Houston in a rotation with Jones and then after Reed left with a chest contusion (Reed, though, had not been on the injury report this week).

If Seattle doesn’t get back Collins or Homer, then its running-back depth will be tested. Penny is set to start again after rushing for 137 yards last week against Houston, and Seattle also has DeeJay Dallas in reserve.

Seattle would likely elevate one or both of veteran Adrian Peterson and Josh Johnson off the practice squad. Peterson, though, did not play last week due to a back issue and it’s unclear if he will be available for Tuesday’s game; since he is on the practice squad, the team does not have to account for him on the injury report.

Shell would likely again be replaced by rookie Jake Curhan, who made his first start last Sunday at Houston.

When the NFL announced the rescheduling of the game for Tuesday the league also stated it did not anticipate making any further changes.

“Our expectation is that these games will be played at the rescheduled times and will not be moved to a later date or time during the week of December 20,” the NFL statement Friday read.

Mone continues to sit out practice

Aside from those on the COVID-19 reserve list, the Seahawks had a light injury report Sunday, with just two players out — defensive tackle Bryan Mone (knee) and left tackle Duane Brown (veteran rest day).

Mone hurt his knee against Houston and is considered a likely game-day decision.

Three other players were limited — safety Quandre Diggs (knee), guard Gabe Jackson (knee) and receiver DK Metcalf (foot/back).