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Buccaneers activate left tackle Donovan Smith from reserve/COVID-19 list

TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady got some good news Tuesday -- he'll have starting left tackle Donovan Smith back this week against the Detroit Lions.

Smith was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list last week, not due to a positive test, but because he was notified that a family member whom he had been in close contact with had tested positive for the virus, which forced him to miss Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons.

According to NFL rules, a player deemed a close contact can return to the team after five days of self-quarantining as long as the player continues to test negative.