UPDATE (5:20 p.m. ET): Under new NFL rules approved Tuesday, unvaccinated players who test positive for COVID-19 now can return in as little as five days, down from the previous mandate of 10 days.
This change makes it possible for Carson Wentz to suit up Sunday for the Indianapolis Colts after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday. This story has been updated to reflect the league's amended protocols.
ORIGINAL STORY: The Indianapolis Colts could be without their starting quarterback for a Week 17 game with major playoff implications.
The Colts on Tuesday placed Carson Wentz on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Because Wentz is unvaccinated, he must sit out at least five days, putting his availability for Sunday's matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders in question.
If Wentz is not cleared ahead of Sunday's game, sixth-round rookie Sam Ehlinger would be in line to start against the Raiders.
Though Indianapolis' offense is built around NFL rushing leader Jonathan Taylor, losing Wentz would be a significant blow to that unit -- and would have ramifications for other AFC playoff hopefuls, as well.
Among them: the New England Patriots, who lost to the Colts 27-17 in Week 15.
The Patriots and Colts boast identical 9-6 records, but Indy owns the tiebreaker by virtue of that victory. Wentz's squad currently occupies the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff standings, followed by the Patriots at No. 6 and the 8-7 Miami Dolphins at No. 7.
An Indianapolis loss Sunday would allow New England to leapfrog into the conference's top wild-card spot, assuming the Patriots are able to beat the 2-13 Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium. But it also would make it more difficult for the Pats to clinch a postseason berth this weekend.
Due to potential conference record tiebreakers, in order for the Patriots to lock down a playoff spot on Sunday, they would need to defeat Jacksonville AND have either the Dolphins lose to the Tennessee Titans OR the Raiders lose to the Colts.
If New England, Miami and Las Vegas all win, the Patriots would be unable to clinch until Week 18, when they visit the Dolphins to close out the regular season. Given how they traditionally have struggled when traveling to South Florida (2-6 in their last eight trips to Miami), the Patriots surely would prefer to go into that game with their playoff standing assured.
Miami faces a tougher test against a Tennesse team that currently sits in second place in the AFC, but Indy, depending on Wentz's availability, might need to hope Ehlinger can operate its run-first offense with minimal prior NFL experience. The Texas product has made three garbage-time appearances this season and has yet to throw his first official NFL pass.
