Auburn returns to practice Tuesday with 16 players out due to COVID-19 issues after a lost week

The Tigers have had an unplanned week off of fall camp due to the coronavirus and protests

Auburn will return to the practice field for the first time in a week on Tuesday, and it will do so with a depleted roster. Coach Gus Malzahn said Sunday that 16 players will miss practice this week due to issues related to COVID-19. This comes after the Tigers had an unplanned week off of practice.

The last time Auburn hit the practice field was last Tuesday, when it had 16-18 players out, according to Malzahn. The Tigers canceled practice on Wednesday because of the absences. The players and coaches felt that it was best to skip Thursday's meetings and Saturday's practice due to the concerns of the players in the aftermath of the Jacob Blake shooting in Wisconsin.

"We are learning as we go here," Malzahn said, according to 247Sports. "Every day and every week is a different challenge, and we talk about the teams that can be adaptable. It is a learning process, I think, for everyone and I think for us."

The unplanned week off has forced the staff to change the way it approaches fall camp leading up to the season-opener on Sept. 25 vs. Kentucky at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

"There's definitely an urgency, but the bottom line is the health and safety of our players is always going to be first," Malzahn said. "When you're going through this, there's a competitive side, but we're always going to put our team first-the mental and physical health of our players. Yeah, we understand we're four weeks out. We feel like we have time to prepare."

NCAA guidelines say that players who test positive must sit out for 10 days, and players who have had "high risk" contact with players who test positive have to sit out for 14 days. "High risk" contact is defined as 15 consecutive minutes in close contact while not wearing a mask or face covering.

Malzahn told reporters on Sunday night that the school's policy is to have players who test positive go through a reacclimation process for seven days after that initial 10-day period before returning to the practice field.

It's the latest in a string of practice issues related to COVID-19 outbreaks. LSU had all but four offensive linemen on the field late last week, and Oklahoma had an entire position group out earlier this month due to positive tests and high risk contact.