NFL News – Monday, September 6, 2021

In this Monday’s NFL news: Zach Martin tests positive for COVID-19, the 49ers sign Josh Norman, Tom Brady confirms he had COVID-19 this past February, and more. Don’t miss the NFL news.

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Zack Martin tests positive for COVID-19, misses the 2021 Kickoff

The NFL is finally back. This Thursday, September 9, the Cowboys will visit the Buccaneers for the start of the 2021 regular season, however, those coached by Mike McCarthy suffered a great loss heading into the game. This Sunday, via Clarence E. Hill Jr., from Fort Worth Star-Telegram, it was reported that guard Zack Martin tested positive for COVID-19, for which he will miss the Week 1 game against Tampa Bay.

Martin is fully vaccinated, but NFL protocols indicate that he will not be able to return in time for the game since a vaccinated player can only return to the field after five days of no symptoms and after two negative tests separated by a 24 hour span.

This loss will be brutal for Dallas. The Notre Dame alumnus came to the league in 2014 as a first-round pick for the Cowboys. Since then, he has played 104 games as a starter and has earned six All-Pro appointments with the same number of Pro Bowls. Due to his absence, it will be RG Connor Williams who will start next Thursday’s game against Tom Brady’s Buccaneers. Can the Cowboys overcome this loss?

Tom Brady confirms he had COVID-19 last February

During the 2020 NFL Season, Tom Brady managed to avoid getting COVID-19. However, this Saturday, he confirmed through Rick Stroud, of the Tampa Bay Times, who finally contracted coronavirus last February, shortly after the Buccaneers’ celebration of winning Super Bowl LV: “Yes,” Brady answered after Stroud questioned him about whether he had caught it. Additionally, Brady also noted that he is concerned about how the NFL will manage the pandemic in 2021:

“I think it will be a challenge this year,” Brady told Stroud. “In fact, I think a more important factor is going to play this year than last year, because of the way we are doing now, how the stadium will look, how the trips will look, the people inside the facilities and the fans… It’s not like last year, although they are testing us like last year. I definitely think the guys are going to be out at different points [de la temporada] and we will have to deal with that. “

But Brady isn’t entirely right. Players are not being tested in the same way as last year. In 2021, vaccinated players are tested once a week, doubling the previous frequency of every 14 days. However, it is encouraging for Tampa Bay to know that all staff members and players on the team are already fully vaccinated, which, of course, will be a huge advantage during the regular season.

49ers sign Josh Norman

We are less than a week away from the start of the 2021 regular season, yet the free agent movements are not stopping. This Sunday, via Jay Glazer from FOX, it was confirmed that the 49ers signed cornerback Josh Norman to a 1-year contract. Subsequently, Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, reported that the agreement has a value of “up to 2.5 million dollars.”

Without a doubt, this is a very interesting move on the part of San Francisco, who add experience and seniority to their high school. Norman came to the NFL in 2012 with the Panthers and played there for three seasons, where he managed to be a Pro Bowler in 2015. However, a year later he was sent to the WFT, to finally play the 2020 campaign with the Bills.

In 9 years of career and 95 games as a starter, the Coastal Carolina graduate has 15 INTs, 440 tackles and 83 passes defended. Norman comes to the 49ers with the difficult task of beating Jason Verret or Emmanuel Moseley, and thus being able to recover from a sour 2020 where he only played three games as a starter.

Jordan Whitehead, at risk for Kickoff 2021

Next Thursday, September 9, the Buccaneers will host the Cowboys in the 2021 NFL Season Kickoff. The good news for Tampa Bay is that currently only one of its players cannot train due to injury, the bad news is that it is about safety Jordan Whitehead, a key player in the secondary.

“The only person who is not participating is Jordan Whitehead because of his hamstring,” HC Bruce Arians told multiple reporters on Sunday. “This day by day, we’ll see where it goes.” Also, Arians made it clear that the team would miss Whitehead if he couldn’t play. “I mean, there is only one Jordan. I haven’t ruled it out yet. “

The future of the graduate of the University of Pittsburgh for Week 1 hangs in the balance, and if he does not arrive on time, the Buccaneers will have to rely on Mike Edwards and Ross Cockrell to fill the gap: “Ross has had an incredible training camp and obviously it made the transition easy for us, ”Arians said. “Mike is an expert at stealing the ball. So I feel very, very comfortable with where we are. “

Whitehead, just 24 years old, came to Tampa Bay in 2018, and over three seasons he has participated in 41 games as a starter, recording 3 INTs, 17 passes defended, 2 sacks and 219 total tackles, gradually becoming one of the defensive mainstays of the game. team. Will he make it in time for the start of the regular season?

Former Steelers offensive lineman Tunch Ilkin dies

In more NFL news, this Saturday, former Steelers offensive lineman Tunch Ilkin passed away at the age of 63. Ilkin, who spent 23 years broadcasting team games, suffered from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).

Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Ilkin came to the United States at age two, and entered the NFL in 1980 as a sixth-round pick from Pittsburgh, where he played until 1992, playing 142 games as a starter and reaching the Pro Bowl in two. occasions. Finally, he retired in 1993 wearing the Green Bay Packers uniform, although his stay was short-lived as he only played one meeting with the team.

After his football career, in 1998 Ilkin joined Bill Hilgrove and the late Myron Cope on the Steelers’ official broadcast team, however, he retired last year to combat this disease, which, unfortunately, he could not overcome. .

The Patriots have yet to rule out a trade for Stephon Gilmore

Throughout the offseason CB Stephon Gilmore has been the subject of rumors about a possible trade due to his contract dispute with the Patriots. Gilmore missed the team’s mandatory minicamp in June before finally reporting in July, however the two sides have yet to reach an agreement. And this weekend, via Dan Graziano from ESPN, New England was reported to be “still open to the idea of ​​trading” for Gilmore.

The above would be a meaningful move. Via Mike Reiss of ESPNGilmore, 30, is scheduled to start the season on the Physically Impaired to Play list due to a quadriceps injury, so he will be off the field for at least the first six weeks of 2021.

The deadline to trade this year is Tuesday, November 2, right after Week 8. This means there are very low chances of seeing Gilmore again in a Patriots uniform. Considering that the quadriceps injury also ended Gilmore’s 2020 season after 11 games, there is a clear track record that would justify any trade attempt by New England. In addition, if a trade is confirmed, those led by Bill Belichick would save $ 7.7 million against cap space.

Gilmore, a South Carolina graduate, was the Bills’ 10th overall pick in the 2012 Draft, and played there for five seasons before landing with the Patriots in 2017. Over nine NFL seasons he has 411 total tackles, 25 INTs and 114 passes defended, ranking as one of the best cornerbacks in the entire league. What team will Gilmore play for in 2021?

This is today’s NFL news.

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