Jackson Carman tests positive for COVID-19

When the Cincinnati Bengals took the practice field Thursday, one noticeable absence was that of second-round offensive lineman Jackson Carman.

Carman is in the thick of the battle with Cordell Volson for the starting left guard position, so many eyes have been on him so far this preseason.

Unfortunately for Carman, he is facing another setback.

With essentially all COVID-19 protocols gone from the NFL, this shouldn’t be an issue for any players who were around Carman at practice, meetings or in the locker room.

For Carman, he is still required to self-isolate for five days, meaning he will miss Sunday’s preseason matchup against the New York Giants. He can return to the team if he tests negative.

From a football standpoint, this is another setback in Carman’s progression. With high expectations as a premium draft pick, injuries certainly seem to have hurt his development.

For Volson, this is an opportunity for him to get reps with the first-team offense and continue to build off of his strong showing in the first preseason game.

Even with the protocols gone, we can still expect to see COVID have an impact on the 2022 NFL season.