Carolina Panthers put kicker Joey Slye and guard Trent Scott on reserve/COVID-19 list

ByDAVID NEWTON
October 21, 2020, 11:49 AM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers placed kicker Joey Slye and backup offensive tackle Trent Scott on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday, the third and fourth Carolina players to be added to the list since Friday.

The move came two days after guard Michael Schofield was placed on the list and the team asked players, coaches and staff members to work remotely on Monday and Tuesday. Backup guard-center Tyler Larsen was added to the list last Friday. A league source confirmed that he came back with a positive test.

The facility was reopened to players, coaches and staff members on Wednesday as Carolina (3-3) continued preparation for Sunday's game at  New Orleans (3-2) under the NFL's intense protocol.

The protocol requires virtual meetings but allows practices as long as players wear masks or shields in addition to gloves.

Slye and Schofield were not at the facility the past two days. Being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list means a player either has tested positive or has been in contact with a player that tested positive, but teams are not allowed to confirm a positive test. In Slye's and Schofield's situations, they're on the list because they came in close contact with someone with COVID-19, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The addition of Slye to the list means the Panthers will have to add a kicker to the roster. They brought in kicker Casey Bednarski for a visit on Monday. According to a league source, he has begun the six-day testing process necessary to be eligible to play.

Bednarski is a former Minnesota State-Mankato kicker who set a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and school record with a 63-yard field goal in September 2017.

The Panthers also brought in kickers Austin Parker and Taylor Bertolet on Monday and they also have begun testing as part of Carolina's contingency plan.