Did Tannehill avoid COVID-19 list by being vaccinated?

Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Did Titans QB Ryan Tannehill avoid COVID-19 list by being vaccinated?

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 11/24/21

The Tennessee Titans fell to 8-3 on the season via this past Sunday's surprising 22-13 loss to the Houston Texans, but they have seemingly managed to avoid a potential catastrophe ahead of this Sunday's matchup at the AFC East-leading New England Patriots (7-4).

Per the NFL's website, the Titans placed backup quarterback Logan Woodside on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday. Woodside's status for Sunday's clash is unknown, but NFL Network's Mike Garafolo notes that Tennessee starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill likely avoided joining Woodside on the reserve/COVID-19 list by being fully vaccinated against the coronavirus despite initial hesitancy toward receiving one of the safe and available vaccines.

Ryan Tannehill said before the season he only got vaccinated because of NFL protocols. Those protocols likely would've called for the #Titans' QB to be considered a close contact here if he'd not gotten the shot. https://t.co/BVh3adxH1v
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 24, 2021

Current New York Jets backup quarterback Joe Flacco confirmed last week he's unvaccinated and found himself on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday as a high-risk close contact after fellow signal-caller Mike White reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus. Per NFL rules, Flacco must isolate away from team activities for a minimum of five days.

A five-day absence could've knocked Tannehill out of the Patriots game before Thanksgiving, but that's something he doesn't have to worry about unless he tests positive for the virus ahead of the weekend.

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