For the past three weeks, NFL teams have been hit hard with COVID-19 cases because ofthe rise of the Omicron variant throughout the world. have alreadylandedon the COVID/reserve list ahead of Week 17 games, and there were 96 positive testsalone on Monday, a new high for a single day.At the start of Week 16,more than 200 players were on the COVID/reserve list. At the beginning of Week 17, various players are being activated, but dozens more are being put into the league's protocols. One of the bigger names to go on the list in Week 17 is Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans. The Bucs were already dealing with a significant lo s to their offensive unit, asrunning back Leonard Fournette is on the list, too.As of Tuesday, the NFL adopted the CDC's new quarantining guidelines, stating that players who test positive and are asymptomatic regardle s of vaccination status will only have to quarantine for five days instead of 10.Sporting News has the list of all of the players who have entered COVID-19 protocols ahead of Week 17 games.NFL POWER RANKINGS: Atlanta Falcons (13players)DT Marlon DavidsonLB Brandon CopelandWR Tajae SharpeLB James VaughtersLB Dorian EtheridgeQBFeleipe FranksS Richie GrantDLTyeler DavisonDL Jonathan BullardSS Jaylinn HawkinsTE Hayden HurstOL Willie BeaversOT Jason SpriggsBaltimore Ravens (oneplayer)TE Josh OliverCarolina Panthers (13players)DT Daviyon NixonC Matt ParadisDE Brian BurnsCSam TecklenburgDEMarquis Haynes Sr.OLHaason ReddickDTPhil HoskinsLBShaq ThompsonS Kenny RobinsonDE Darryl JohnsonRB Reggie BonnafonDB Jaycee HornTE Tommy TrembleChicago Bears (fourplayers)WR Isaiah CoulterLB Joel IyiegbuniweTE Jesper HorstedDT Akiem HicksCincinnati Bengals (eight players)LB Clay JohnstonDB Chidobe AwuzieQB Brandon AllenCB Darius PhillipsWR Auden TateLB Germaine PrattWR Trenton IrwinDB Trae WaynesCleveland Browns (threeplayers)LB Tony Fields IILB Elijah LeeLT Alex TaylorDallas Cowboys (seven players)DT Trysten HillDT Osa OdighizuwaDB Malik HookerCB Kyron BrownS Tyler CoyleDT Quinton BohannaLB Keanu NealDenver Broncos (17players)RB Mike BooneDB P.J. LockeWR Seth WilliamsNT Mike PurcellOLB Andre MintzeWRTim PatrickT Calvin AndersonS Caden SternsCB Bryce CallahanCB Mike FordT Bobby Ma sieOLB Stephen WeatherlyDE McTelvin AgimLB Baron BrowningLB Bradley ChubbLB Jonathan CooperWR Jerry JeudyDetroit Lions (16players)DB Jalen ElliottDB Nickell Robey-ColemanLB Alex AnzaloneWR Quintez CephusDB Corey BallentineLB Tavante BeckettDB Ifeatu MelifonwuDB Tracy WalkerDB Bobby PriceWR Josh ReynoldsQB Steven MontezTE Brock WrightDE Michael BrockersG Halapoulivaati VaitaiWR Geronimo AllisonWR Kalif RaymondGreen Bay Packers (11players)G Ben BradenLB Tipa GaleaiWR Amari RodgersLB Ty SummersDL R.J. McIntoshLB Oren BurksTE Marcedes LewisS Henry BlackP Corey BojorquezTE Tyler DavisDL Kingsley KekeHouston Texans (11players)DE DeMarcus WalkerDB Cre'Von LeBlancT Tytus HowardDB Lonnie JohnsonRBDavid JohnsonFBPaul Que senberryDLRon'Dell CarterWRChris MooreWR Danny AmendolaTE Anthony AuclairLB Kevin Pierre-LouisIndianapolis Colts (eight players)QB Carson WentzCB T.J. CarrieLB Malik JeffersonT Braden SmithCB Chris WilcoxQB James MorganTE Eli WolfLS Luke RhodesJacksonville Jaguars (20 players)OL Ben BartchTE Dan ArnoldDT Malcom BrownDE/OLB KLavon Chai sonOL Brandon LinderDT DaVon HamiltonTE Chris ManhertzDE/OLB Lerentee McCrayOL Andrew NorwellDL Jihad WardOL Jared HockerTE Jacob HollisterDT Jay TufeleOL Cam RobinsonWR Jaydon MickensLB Dylan MosesS Rudy FordS Andrew WingardRB BJ EmmonsDB Shaquill GriffinKansas City Chiefs (nineplayers)TE Travis Tipa Galeai Jersey KelceK Harrison ButkerTE Joe FortsonCB Rashad FentonP Tommy TownsendLB Nick BoltonOT Lucas NiangOLB Kyle LongS Armani WattsLas Vegas Raiders (sevenplayers)DB Nate HobbsDB Trayvon MullenLB Will ComptonDT Kendal VickersTE Darren WallerDE Carl Na sibG Jordan SimmonsLos Angeles Chargers (14players)LT Rashawn SlaterG/C Scott Que senberryLB Joey BosaDB Tevaughn CampbellDB Kemon HallC Corey LinsleyDB Trey MarshallWR Andre RobertsLB Chris RumphDB Chris Harris Jr.CB Michael DavisS Nasir AdderleyTE Jared CookLB Damon LloydLos Angeles Rams (twoplayers)LB Justin LawlerRB Raymond CalaisMiami Dolphins (sevenplayers)GSolomon KindleyWR Albert WilsonRB Lynn BowdenDLAdam ButlerDT John JenkinsS Brandon JonesWR Preston WilliamsMinnesota Vikings (four players)G Olisaemeka UdohDE Patrick Jones IILB Nick VigilQB Kirk CousinsNew England Patriots (sixplayers)OT Yasir DurantLB Harvey LangiLB Cameron McGroneDE Ronnie PerkinsRBRhamondre StevensonDLDeatrich WiseNew Orleans Saints (18players)G James CarpenterLB Kaden Elli sDB Jeff HeathDB Malcom JenkinsT Jordan MillsDT Christian RingoLB Demario DavisOT Ryan RamczykTE Adam TrautmanTE Juwan JohnsonS J.T. GrayDE Carl GrandersonDE Jalyn HolmesDT Malcolm RoachOT Jerald HawkinsCB KeiVarae Ru sellLB Kwon AlexanderS Marcus WilliamsNew York Giants (nineplayers)LB Oshane XiminesQB Daniel JonesWR Sterling ShepardDB Julian LoveDTDanny SheltonDL Dexter LawrenceOT Korey CunninghamWR Darius SlaytonLB Omari CobbNew York Jets (fiveplayers)WR Elijah MooreDB Sharrod NeasmanDL Quinnen WilliamsDL Ryan GriffinWR Vyncint SmithPhiladelphia Eagles (fiveplayers)G Landon DickersonDE Derek BarnettCB Andre ChachereTE Noah TogiaiWR John HightowerPittsburgh Steelers (nine players)DE Montravius AdamsDB Linden StephensRB Anthony McFarlandWR Anthony MillerS Karl JosephWRTyler VaughnsDB Arthur MauletLB Joe SchobertDE Chris WormleySeattle Seahawks (two players)CB Ble s AustinLGDamien LewisTampa Bay Buccaneers (fourplayers, head coach)WR Jaelon DardenHC Bruce AriansCB Jamel DeanCB Sean Murphy-BuntingP Bradley PinionTenne see Titans (sixplayers)T Kendall LammWR Julio JonesLB Bud DupreeDB Buster SkrineDL Denico AutryLBJayon BrownWashington Football Team (18 players)QB Kyle AllenDT Matt IoannidisS Darrick ForrestOT Cornelius LucasDE William Bradley-KingDB Kendall FullerRB Wendell SmallwoodDB Kamren CurlLB Khaleke HudsonK Joey SlyeC/G Beau BenzschawelCB Darryl RobertsT David SteinmetzP Tre s WayT Sam CosmiQB Kyle ShurmurG Ereck FlowersRB Antionio GibsonMORE:Here is the COVID protocol for vaccinated players, :Vaccinated individuals who test positive and are asymptomatic will be isolated and contact tracing will promptly occur.The positive individual will be permitted to return to duty after two negative tests at least 24 hours apart.After that, they will be tested every week or as directed by the medical staff.Vaccinated individuals will not be subject to quarantine as a result of close contact with an infected person.The main difference between vaccinated and unvaccinated players is that vaccinated players don't have to worry about being a "high-risk" close contact at any point. They also have more freedom to participate in activities than their unvaccinated counterparts. Vaccinated players can go out on the road and more easily spend time with teammates outside the facility, among other perks.The NFL's COVID protocols are stricter than those for vaccinated players. They are as follows, :If an unvaccinated person tests positive, the protocols from 2020 will remain in effect. The person will be isolated for a period of 10 days and will then be permitted to return to duty if asymptomatic.Unvaccinated individuals will continue to be subject to a five-day quarantine period if they have close contact with an infected individual.Unvaccinated players also have more procedures they must follow to avoid falling into COVID protocol. They include the following:Unvaccinated individuals must be tested for COVID every day at the team facility. If a player mi ses even one day of testing, they will be required to test negative for COVID for five straight days before re-entering the facility. That's what happened to Cam Newton before the final week of the Patriots' preseason.Unvaccinated free agents must also test negative for five consecutive days before being allowed to enter a team facility.Unvaccinated players must wear masks at all times in the facility. They cannot gather in groups larger than three players and on the road "are prohibited from congregating, visiting or mingling with individuals outside of the traveling party once they have arrived in the game city."Unvaccinated individuals are subject to fines if they break COVID protocols. This can include anything from failing to wear a mask in the facility or going to an indoor concert or house party with more than 15 people.The NFL considers a player fully vaccinated if they fall into one of the two following categories: They either are 14 days removed from their final dose of Pfizer, Moderna or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or they previously contracted COVID and are 14 days removed from a single dose of any vaccine.MORE:The NFL has left the door open for potential postponements. That said, the league has said that "postponements will only occur if required by government authorities, medical experts, or at the commi sioner's discretion."Of course, the NFL has also said that it's hoping to play its full, 272-game schedule "in a safe and responsible way," so it seems likely that the league will consider postponements where appropriate.However, the NFL has noted that the burden of postponements or cancellations will fall upon teams featuring COVID spikes among unvaccinated players. If outbreaks occur among vaccinated players, the league will seek to "minimize the burden" of that club.If a game is canceled/postponed because a club cannot play due to a COVIDspike among or resulting from its non-vaccinated players/staff, then the burden of the cancellation or delay will fall on the club experiencing the COVIDinfection. We will seek to minimize the burden on the opposing club or clubs. If a club cannot play due to a COVIDspike in vaccinated individuals, we will attempt to minimize the competitive and economic burden on both participating teams.What does that mean? If a team has an outbreak that impacts unvaccinated players, they're le s likely to get a favorable ruling from the NFL. So, they may be forced to play significantly shorthanded or at a le s convenient time.The NFL also has stated that if a game cannot be rescheduled within its 18-week season due to a COVID outbreak amid non-vaccinated players, the team with the outbreak will be forced to forfeit.Additionally, the league said that "games will not be postponed or rescheduled simply to avoid roster i sues caused by injury or illne s affecting multiple players, even within a position group." The Broncos were the best example of that principlein action. They had to play with practice squad receiver Kendall Hinton as their quarterback after their QB room was exposed to the virus.No, it's not planning to add an extra week to the schedule. The NFL confirmed that they are hoping not to extend the regular season past 18 weeks (17 games and one bye).Perhaps the NFL will change its tune if COVID becomes a bigger i sue than the league anticipates, but for now, don't expect the league to add another week to the season. Chandon Sullivan Jersey