Joey Bosa COVID-19 update: What’s next after Chargers linebacker lands on COVID-19 injured reserve

Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa is questionable to play on Sunday vs. the Steelers after he was placed on the team’s COVID-19 injured reserve on Tuesday.

Bosa and defensive tackle Jerry Tillery were both placed on the list, according to a report from ESPN’s Field Yates. They will both need to undergo the league’s mandatory testing process to determine if they can be cleared to play on Sunday.

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Sporting News has everything you need to know about Bosa’s COVID-19 update, including how long he’s out and whether he is vaccinated:

How long is Joey Bosa out?

The placement on the COVID-19 list means that Bosa is questionable to play against the Steelers on Sunday.

According to the NFL’s guidelines on COVID-19, vaccinated players who test positive and are symptomatic have to be isolated while contact tracing takes place. Those players would have to be out until they have had two negative tests at least 24 hours apart. However, if a player is unvaccinated, they will need to be isolated for 10 days and must be asymptomatic before their return.

Assuming Bosa is vaccinated, he could return in time for Sunday’s game vs. the Steelers. If he’s unvaccinated, the earliest he could return is Friday, Nov. 26. The Chargers travel to take on the Broncos on Nov. 28.

Bosa’s absence would be a huge loss for the Chargers defense. The 26-year-old linebacker leads the Chargers with 5.5 sacks and three forced fumbles through nine matchups. Tillery has recorded 30 tackles with 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss.

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Is Joey Bosa vaccinated?

Bosa, who leads the Chargers in quarterback hits (11) and sacks (5.5), could miss more than just Sunday’s game vs. Pittsburgh. It’s unknown whether Bosa and Tillery received the COVID-19 vaccine. According to a report from Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times, Bosa is unvaccinated, while Tillery is vaccinated.

Other reporters speculated Bosa may simply be deemed a close contact, meaning it’s possible he hasn’t tested positive for COVID-19 but must sit out from team activities for five days due to contact tracing. In that instance, Bosa could be cleared to play against the Steelers if he does not test positive during that time.

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