Dallas Cowboys linebacker Keanu Neal will not be available for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals for an all-too-familiar reason.
According to Todd Archer of ESPN and Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, Neal has tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time during the 2021 campaign as an unvaccinated player. He previously missed contests in Weeks 3 and 4 due to landing on the reserve/COVID-19 list:
Timeline: On Sept. 22, unvaccinated Cowboys LB Keanu Neal was placed on Reserve/COVID-19 as close contact. He had chance to play Sept. 27 vs. Eagles if negative. On Sept. 25, coach Mike McCarthy said Neal tested positive, thus ruling him out the next 10 days (two games total).
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) December 31, 2021
Cowboys LB Keanu Neal was not subject to testing for 90 days from his initial positive test. If Sept. 25 the start date, Neal is at Day 97. Any player not fully vaccinated and outside the 90-day window is subject to daily testing. Neal has tested positive again.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) December 31, 2021
Fortunately for Dallas, Neal could be available for the regular-season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. He also won't be tested for the virus again through the playoffs, per NFL protocols:
If any silver lining to situation, Cowboys LB Keanu Neal can rejoin team after five days under new NFL protocol, presuming his symptom status allows. And he won’t be tested again for the remainder of this season, including the playoffs.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) December 31, 2021
As Archer noted, Micah Parsons, Leighton Vander Esch and Luke Gifford are Dallas' only healthy active linebackers with both Neal and Francis Bernard on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Bernard also has a groin injury.
Thus far, Neal has tallied 67 total tackles, a sack and four tackles for loss this season.
Dallas has already clinched a playoff berth and the division title but could still mathematically leapfrog the Green Bay Packers for the top spot in the NFC postseason tournament bracket heading into the weekend.
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