Six unidentified members of the New Orleans Saints coaching staff, a player and a nutritionist have tested positive for COVID-19, two people familiar with the situation said.

The people spoke with The Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the team and NFL had not made a public statement about the matter. The names of those who tested positive were not expected to be released in the short term because of federal medical privacy laws.

The people said the entire Saints coaching staff had been vaccinated.

It is unclear how long those who tested positive will remain isolated from the team before they may return to the field or in-person meetings.

For now, the entire team is operating under the NFL’s enhanced mitigation protocols, meaning mandatory masking inside facilities, daily testing, no in-person meetings and grab-and-go meals.

49ERS: Running back Raheem Mostert will undergo season-ending surgery on his knee after getting injured in the season opener.

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Coach Kyle Shanahan had said Mostert was expected to miss eight weeks because of chipped cartilage in his knee, but Mostert announced on his Twitter account that he will miss the rest of the season.

The injury to Mostert is the second season-ending injury suffered by a key 49ers player already this year after the 2020 season was derailed by injuries. Cornerback Jason Verrett tore the ACL in his right knee in the season opener at Detroit.

Mostert played only eight games last season because of ankle and knee injuries and lasted only four snaps this year. He had two carries for 20 yards on the opening drive of a 41-33 win at Detroit before getting hurt.

DOLPHINS: Raekwon Davis was placed on injured reserve, meaning the defensive tackle will miss at least three games.

Davis injured a knee in the Dolphins’ season-opening win at New England on Sunday. This weekend’s game against Buffalo will be the first he misses in his career, after appearing in all 16 games for Miami during his rookie season in 2020.

OBIT: Parys Haralson, a former linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints, has died. He was 37.

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The 49ers announced Haralson’s death on Monday. No details were provided.

Haralson also served as San Francisco’s director of player engagement for two years.

“Parys was a beloved member of our organization that lived life with an extraordinary amount of passion and joy, while leaving an indelible mark on everyone he came across,” the team said in a statement. “We extend our condolences to Parys’ family and loved ones.”

Haralson played college ball at Tennessee before he was selected by San Francisco in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft. He was a two-time captain for the Volunteers and finished with 21 sacks.

Haralson played in 118 NFL games, including 88 starts. He had 380 tackles, 28 sacks, five fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles and five passes defensed.

BILLS: The Buffalo Bills joined the Las Vegas Raiders as the only NFL teams to require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for all fans over the age of 12.

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The rules will be the same for Buffalo Sabres games at the KeyBank Center when the NHL season gets under way next month.

The change comes after reports from fans about lax mask enforcement during the Bills’ opening game at Highmark Stadium Sept. 12.

Unvaccinated fans were allowed to attend, but were supposed to wear masks at all times under guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many at the game said they saw very few face coverings at the packed stadium, including in restrooms and other indoor areas where even vaccinated fans were expected to wear a mask.

BRONCOS: The Broncos placed wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (high right ankle sprain) on injured reserve along with free-agent acquisition Ronald Darby, who pulled a hamstring in Denver’s 27-13 win over the New York Giants on Sunday.

Jeudy had a terrific training camp and had six catches for 72 yards before getting hurt in the opener. He’s expected to miss about six weeks.

Darby, a cornerback, was a surprise addition to IR as Coach Vic Fangio never mentioned his injury in his postgame news conference on Monday.


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