The New Orleans Saints were already shorthanded heading into Monday night's matchup against the Miami Dolphins, but Friday's COVID update only stood to make things worse. According to Dov Kleiman, the Saints added multiple players to the COVID list on Friday, headlined by star offensive lineman Ryan Ramczyk.

In addition to Ramcyzk, the Saints have also placed linebacker Demario Davis, running back Dwayne Washington, and safety J.T. Gray on the COVID/Reserve list. Furthermore, assistant coaches Cory Robinson and Zach Strief and coaching intern Sterling Moore also returned positive tests.

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The loss of Ramcyzk will be a brutal blow for the Saints who have struggled to get any kind of reliable play out of the quarterback position this year. With both Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill on the sideline in Week 16, former Notre Dame QB Ian Book is expected to get the start. The Saints signed veteran Blake Bortles to serve as the backup for Monday's game. Ramcyzk is a key pass protector for New Orleans, so Book will be far more vulnerable in the pocket with the former Ohio State star on the shelf.

In a matchup that was already not looking great for Sean Payton and Co. the latest swath of players to the COVID list makes this Monday Night Football showdown all the more difficult to handle. Alvin Kamara will have a tall task on his hands as he looks to provide some sort of offensive spark for the team.

At 7-7, this will be a crucial matchup for the Saints if they want to have a shot at making the playoffs this year.