The Cleveland Browns closed their facility Wednesday to conduct contact tracing after a player and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced.
The Browns have battled issues with the coronavirus since Saturday, when they had to place their entire receiving corps on the reserve/COVID-19 list as high-risk close contacts after they came into contact with another player who had tested positive. Receivers Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and KhaDarel Hodge and linebackers B.J. Goodson and Jacob Phillips all missed Cleveland’s 23-16 loss to the New York Jets.
On Tuesday, the Browns added tight end Harrison Bryant and safeties Karl Joseph and Andrew Sendejo to the reserve/COVID-19 list.
The Browns do not expect to get Sendejo or Goodson back in time for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers but are hopeful the other players, including the receivers, will be able to rejoin the team, beginning Thursday, should they continue to test negative for the coronavirus.
Cleveland can clinch its first playoff berth in 17 seasons with a victory over the Steelers.