TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady got some good news Tuesday — he’ll have starting left tackle Donovan Smith back this week against the Detroit Lions.
Smith was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list last week, not due to a positive test, but because he was notified that a family member whom he had been in close contact with had tested positive for the virus, which forced him to miss Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
According to NFL rules, a player deemed a close contact can return to the team after five days of self-quarantining as long as the player continues to test negative. In Smith’s absence, Brady felt more pressure in a scoreless first half, before scoring 31 points to defeat the Falcons 31-27.
After a scare last week due to a false positive in the special teams’ room that at one point, had three specialists — punter Bradley Pinion, kicker Ryan Succop and long snapper Zach Triner — all on the Reserve/COVID-19 the list, all three were able to return in time to play the Falcons.
Starting running back Ronald Jones remains the lone member of the Buccaneers on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
The Buccaneers can clinch a playoff spot on Sunday with a victory or tie against the Lions.