By Gregg Bell | McClatchy News Service
After a dozen days of perfect testing and seemingly effective safeguarding, the Seahawks have their first COVID-19 case, though it may have been a false positive.
Second-year wide receiver John Ursua became Seattle’s first player to go on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list Sunday, the 13th day of training camp.
However, Ursua told a Hawaii TV station on Monday that he since had a negative test and hopes that it may have been a false positive.
Ursua was “extremely shocked” to find out late Saturday night that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
If Ursua has a second negative test and is asymptomatic, he can be cleared to return to the team. Ursua told KHON2 he has no symptoms.
Players go onto the new COVID-19 list after they test positive for the coronavirus, or after they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive recently.
Entering the weekend, the Seahawks were among five teams in the 32-team NFL to not have added a player to the COVID-19 list. The others were NFC West rival Arizona, Houston, New England and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Ursua was Seattle’s seventh-round draft choice in 2019 out of Hawaii. His first career catch was at the goal line on fourth down in the final seconds of the 2019 regular-season finale, the Seahawks’ wild, last-play loss to San Francisco in the NFC West title game.
This season Ursua is a candidate for the slot-receiver role inside — at least when top receiver Tyler Lockett isn’t lined up there.
The Seahawks are scheduled to have their first no-pads practice and team work of camp on Wednesday.
The Seattle Times contributed to this report.
