The NFL’s COVID-19 protocols for the 2020 season mandate that players joining new teams — either via trade or signing as a free agent — pass through several days of coronavirus testing before they are cleared to get to work at the team facility.
That extends to New Orleans Saints linebacker Kwon Alexander, acquired in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers. Alexander entered the NFL as a Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft pick, but he won’t get a chance to face his old team this season. The earliest he could possibly suit up for the Saints would be in Sunday’s matchup at Tampa Bay, but he wouldn’t have taken a single step on the Saints practice field before doing so.