CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers put kicker Joey Slye and guard Trent Scott on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
The move came two days after guard Michael Schofield was placed on the list and the team asked players, coaches and staff members to work remotely on Monday and Tuesday. Backup guard-center Tyler Larsen went on the list last Friday. A league source confirmed he did come back with a positive test.
The facility was re-opened to players, coaches and staff members on Wednesday as Carolina (3-3) continued preparation for Sunday’s game at New Orleans (3-2) under the NFL’s intense protocol.
The intense protocol requires virtual meetings, but allows practices as long as players wear masks or shields in addition to gloves.
Slye and Schofield were not at the facility the past two days. Being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list means a player either has tested positive or has been in contact with a player that tested positive, but teams are not allowed to confirm a positive test. In Slye and Schofield’s situation, they’re on the list because they came in close contact with someone with COVID-19, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The addition of Slye to the list means the Panthers will have to add a kicker to the roster. They brought in kicker Casey Bednarski for a visit on Monday. According to a league source, he has begun the six-day testing process necessary to be eligible to play.
Bednarski is a former Minnesota State-Mankato kicker who set a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and school record with a 63-yard field goal in September 2017.