SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 5: San Francisco 49ers’ Richie James (13) is tackled after a catch against Green Bay Packers’ Krys Barnes (51) and Green Bay Packers’ Josh Jackson (37) in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Green Bay Packers linebacker Krys Barnes, who played in Thursday’s game against the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium, has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a report.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted Friday morning that Barnes, 22, is not experiencing symptoms “as of right now.”
Barnes, a Bakersfield native who played at UCLA, played in the first half of Thursday’s game before he exited with a calf injury. Barnes was credited with three tackles in what became a 34-17 win for the Packers.
According to NFL protocol, if a player tests positive but is not showing symptoms, he can return either 10 days after the positive test or in just five days if he tests negative twice after the positive. So Barnes could return to play Nov. 15 when the Packers host the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The 49ers this week already had their own issues with positive coronavirus tests.
It was announced Wednesday that receiver Kendrick Bourne had tested positive for the virus, and that three of his teammates were deemed “high risk” contacts. Receiver Brandon Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams were placed on the COVID-19 list and had to miss Thursday’s game. Deebo Samuel, who was already out with a hamstring injury, also had to quarantine.
Bourne’s two most recent COVID-19 test results have come back negative, so he is eligible to return when the 49ers reconvene next week. Aiyuk, Williams and Samuel are also in the clear.
Just Friday, the Cincinnati Bengals closed their training facility after two players tested positive, and the Atlanta Falcons canceled their practice after a member of the football staff tested positive.
“I knew at some time we would have to deal with it,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said after Thursday’s game. “I was hoping it wouldn’t be on a short week and with the injuries we had prior, so that just made it a bigger challenge. But that’s challenges other people are going through, and it’s challenges people are going to have going forward.
“It’s not getting better right now, so that’s why everyone has to be on it with every single protocol that there is. I feel that we’ve been doing it the best we can, but we’ll look into everything and see how we can continue to get better because there’s still a number of games left in this year and I know our team and I know the whole NFL plans on finishing those.”
