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INDIANAPOLISIt took until Christmas, but COVID is finally hitting the Indianapolis Colts.

After being the second to last team to have a player go on the COVID list this season, the Colts now have 3 notable names on it for this week’s matchup with the Cardinals.

On Wednesday, Rock Ya-Sin and Kemoko Turay went on the COVID list. On Thursday, Mark Glowinski joined them on the COVID list.

Frank Reich said on Thursday that it’s “unlikely” any of the three COVID list guys will be able to play on Saturday night in Arizona.

The 4 players on the COVID list (practice squad TE-Farrod Green also is on the list) is easily a season-high number for the Colts.

Prior to this week, the Colts only had 2 players on the COVID list all year (Ryan Kelly and Zaire Franklin) and just 1 player miss a game due to COVID (Ryan Kelly earlier this month).

Even though the Colts have avoided this issue all year long, it was always the hanging cloud.

With the Omicron variant of COVID causing positive test numbers to rise significantly all over the NFL, that has now found the Colts.

“There’s a healthy tension of we are doing everything (we can) and you are certainly concerned because there seems to be a bunch of stuff going on and it seems as you get later in the week, you are hoping and praying nothing happens,” Reich said following Thursday’s final practice of the week.

“And every day I wait to get that text in our staff meeting (from head trainer) Dave Hammer that we are all clear on testing. And then every day it’s a little bit of a sigh of relief. So that’s one side of the coin. And then the other side of the coin and I just talked to the players about, ‘This is what it is. It’s a virus. We can only do what we can do. When it happens, it happens.’ So the other side of it is if guys go down, it has to be next man up and we have to roll. There’s no excuses and we have to find ways to win.”

Ya-Sin and Turay are pseudo defensive starters and would be key pieces in defending the dynamic Kyler Murray and the Cardinals wide-open passing game this weekend.

The loss of Glowinski comes at a spot where reserve Chris Reed has actually filled in quite nicely. Glowinski played every snap at right guard against New England, but Reed has interchanged with the starting group at various points this season.

Compared to many teams, this COVID situation for the Colts is nowhere near as severe as it could have been, with several prominent players remaining unvaccinated.

The Colts did avoid Quenton Nelson (illness) going on the COVID list this week. Nelson missed Wednesday’s practice but returned as a full participant on Thursday, which was the final practice of the week. Nelson is good to go for Saturday night.

Last week the NFL changed their COVID protocols for vaccinated players—dialing back testing for asymptomatic, vaccinated players—-but the unvaccinated group remains in the daily testing group.

That only adds to the lingering hazard that could impact the end of the Colts season.

Along with the COVID losses for this week, C-Ryan Kelly (personal) and S-Andrew Sendejo (concussion) have been ruled OUT for the Cardinals game. It’ll be Danny Pinter starting for a third straight week at center. The assumption is George Odum will start for Sendejo, and line up next to Khari Willis at safety.

Improved OL depth, particularly on the interior should help the Colts handle being down two starters up front this week.

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