The NFL is getting decimated with COVID-19 positive tests this week. The Washington Football Team has been among the teams that are dealing with a large number of unavailable players for their game this weekend.
That is going to include WFT’s top two quarterbacks on the depth chart, Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen, both of whom are now on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. It appears extremely unlikely either of them will be able to play in Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
So, the team is signing former Cowboys quarterback Garrett Gilbert to potentially start the game with very little lead time.
Gilbert, who played college ball for Texas A&M and SMU, was picked by the St. Louis Rams in the 2014 NFL Draft. He’s since mostly spent time bouncing around to different practice squads with the Patriots, Lions, Raiders, and Panthers. He eventually did get to see some game action with the Panthers in 2018. After a stint with the AAF’s Orlando Apollos, he saw spot duty with the Browns and Cowboys over the last two years, starting one game for Dallas. After signing with the Patriots practice squad earlier this season, he now finds himself joining WFT for a chance to get his second NFL start.
WFT also has Kyle Shurmur and Jordan Ta’amu on their roster, so they could presumably start any of them on Sunday. Neither of them has ever started in an NFL game, which could give Garrett the advantage.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.