COVID-19 impacting Raiders with QB Derek Carr forced to practice with different linemen

UPDATE: The NFL moved the Las Vegas Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers game to 1:05 p.m., and the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks will be played at 5:20 p.m. The league said “these decisions were made out of an abundance of caution to ensure that a game would be available for fans on Sunday Night Football. We expect the Buccaneers-Raiders game to be played on Sunday afternoon. Scheduling decisions are made to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts.”

The coronavirus has left Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr exposed.

Not that Carr has been infected by COVID-19.

However, his entire starting offensive line went missing Wednesday after right tackle Trent Brown tested positive and was placed on the COVID-19 list.

As a precaution, the Raiders sent home the rest of their starting offensive line — center Rodney Hudson, tackle Kolton Miller, guards Gabe Jackson and Denzelle Good — as well as safety Johnathan Abram for the purpose of contact tracing. None of them were placed on the COVID-19 list on Wednesday.

That changed Thursday when all five were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Those five players could still play if they get negative results (for five days) since isolation began Tuesday.

Nonetheless, that left Carr protected only by reserve linemen during practice Wednesday and Thursday.

“It ranks No. 1 in the weirdest things,” the former Fresno State star said Wednesday of his entire starting offensive line missing from practice. “You all know we’ve seen a lot of weird things around here in my seven years.

“But this is definitely up there with some of the weirdest things I’ve ever seen.”

Carr said he’ll pray for his teammates and hopes things turn out OK.

Despite the absence of the Raiders offensive linemen, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported that the Raiders still might be able to field its usual starting unit come Sunday when Las Vegas hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Tom Brady.

Pelissero, who cited an unnamed source, said the last exposure was on Monday and players were off Tuesday, and that would mean “the mandatory five-day isolation would be over in time,” thus potentially clearing the Raiders starting offensive line to return for game day.

Who was protecting Carr Wednesday and Thursday?

Among the Raiders reserve offensive linemen are tackle Sam Young, guards Brandon Parker, Patrick Omameh and offensive lineman Andre James are on the active roster.

Practice squad players on the offensive line include Jaryd Jones-Smith, Erik Magnuson and rookie Kamaal Seymour.

Some of the reserve players have starting experience.

Omameh made 57 starts, while Young follows with 22, Parker (15), Magnuson (3) and James (1).

Carr is hoping for the best for his missing teammates.

“You feel bad for those guys,” Carr said. “You feel for them and pray for them and make sure they’re okay, make sure their families are okay, all those kinds of things.

“But at the same time, we have a job to do while we’re here. So you have to compartmentalize a little bit. You have to separate the two ... We have to act like this is the group we are going out with, so get ready to play.”