The Cleveland Browns are still having COVID-related issues ahead of their road Sunday night Super Wild Card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Browns reported on Thursday that safety Ronnie Harrison Jr. has been placed on the team’s Reserve/COVID-19 list and that means he won’t play on Sunday against the Steelers. That’s another big blow for the Browns, who also won’t have guard Joel Bitonio Sunday night against the Steelers as like Harrison, he will miss the contest due to being placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list a few days ago.
In addition to Harrison, the Browns also placed linebacker Montrel Meander on the team’s Practice Squad/COVID-19 list on Thursday.
The Browns have yet to practice this week as the team’s facility remains closed due to COVID protocols. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported Thursday afternoon that Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, recently said that “there was some spread one individual to another” among the Browns latest positive COVID-19 cases. Not all were community spread, however. His report goes on to say that contact tracing and review of testing results are ongoing before a decision on if the Browns can practice on Thursday.
Pelissero also reports that for now, the Sunday night playoff game between the Browns and Steelers remains on schedule.
The Browns did get safety Andrew Sendejo back on Thursday as he was activated this afternoon from the team’s Reserve/COVID-19 list. Sendejo missed the Browns Week 17 game against the Steelers due to him being sidelined on the COVID list.
Along with Bitonio, Harrison, and wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and two additional members of the coaching staff tested positive for COVID-19 this past week and thus all will not be available for the Sunday night playoff game against the Steelers. Browns special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer will serve as the acting head coach. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt is expected to call the offensive plays in place of Stefanski. Defensive backs coach Jeff Howard and tight ends coach Drew Petzing were the additional two members of the Browns coaching staff to test positive.
