Less than two months ago, the Los Angeles Rams were going through what quarterback Matthew Stafford called “that tough couple weeks.” As the Omicron variant of the coronavirus swept across the country, more than 30 Rams players tested positive during the last three weeks of December. At one point, nearly all of them, including seven starters, were on the reserve/Covid-19 list at the same time.
Between Dec. 12 and Jan. 8, the N.F.L. said it recorded more than 1,200 positive tests among players and team staff around the league, an average of close to 10 per club per week.