If they get a negative test result back by the deadline? They could play tonight:
Should Heinicke and/or Allen test negative ahead of the 4:00 p.m. gameday transaction deadline, Rivera said they would then travel to Philadelphia for Tuesday night's game.
"There's not much you can do about the situation, so you might as well make the most of it," Rivera said. "I'm looking forward to tonight. I won't know who's available until 4:00, but I'll tell you all we need is all we have."
If Heinicke and Allen aren't cleared, 30-year-old journeyman Garrett Gilbert is expected to get the starting nod over Kyle Shurmur thanks to his familiarity with Rivera's system from their days in Carolina together. Despite losing the backup job to Heinicke with the Panthers, Gilbert knows Rivera's playbook well enough to be option No. 1 if it comes to that.