Colts place starting cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, pass rusher Kemoko Turay on reserve/COVID-19

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INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts have placed starting cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, pass rush specialist Kemoko Turay and practice squad tight end Farrod Green on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the most the team has been forced to place on the list at any one time since training camp.

And considering how COVID-19 has spread through teams in all three professional leagues over the course of the last week — the NFL was forced to postpone three games due to overwhelming COVID-19 spread within Cleveland, Washington and Los Angeles — the Colts’ situation must be monitored closely in the final days leading up to this week’s game against the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas night.

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Up until Wednesday’s news, only two Colts had been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list during the regular season, although 13 players and coaches missed time due to COVID-19 during training camp.

Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly was forced to miss the Houston game due to COVID-19, and linebacker Zaire Franklin was placed on the list at the beginning of last week, then tested negative in time to come off the list and play against the New England Patriots.

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (26) pushes Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) toward the sideline Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021, during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (26) pushes Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) toward the sideline Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021, during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Under the NFL’s new rules, vaccinated players are not tested as often; most will be tested only if symptomatic or considered a close contact to a player who tests positive. Unvaccinated players must be tested for COVID-19 every day, and several of the Colts’ key players — quarterback Carson Wentz, linebacker Darius Leonard, left guard Quenton Nelson — are unvaccinated.

“I’m trying to be responsible, do the best that I can do in my position with our team,” Colts head coach Frank Reich said. “We’re going to follow the protocols to a T. We know it’s serious business, we encourage vaccination, we think vaccination is a good thing, so we’ll continue down that line.”

Losing Ya-Sin and Turay for Saturday’s game is a difficult blow for the defense in itself.

Ya-Sin, in particular, has blossomed into the team’s No. 1 cornerback in his third year, allowing opponents to complete just 48.5 percent of their passes and average just 4.9 yards per attempt on 33 throws against him this season, according to Sports Info Solutions. In recent weeks, teams have simply stopped targeting Ya-Sin, eliminating one receiver from the progression on most snaps.

If Ya-Sin is out, the Colts can feel comfortable turning to second-year cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, who has blossomed in his own right, limiting quarterbacks to 55 percent completions and 7.5 yards per attempt against him.

The loss of any cornerback against explosive Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray is a concern. The Cardinals no longer have injured All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, but Arizona’s 8th-ranked passing game does still have excellent deep threats at wide receiver in Christian Kirk and A.J. Green.

Turay isn’t playing as much as Ya-Sin, but the Colts can use all the speed they can get in the pass rush against Murray, one of the NFL’s most elusive quarterbacks. Turay has played 21.9 percent of the snaps this season, and he’s tied for second on the team with five sacks. If Turay cannot go, the most likely replacement is third-year defensive end Ben Banogu, who has been a healthy scratch for six of the last seven games.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts place CB Rock Ya-Sin, DE Kemoko Turay on COVID-19 list