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CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Browns simply want it to be 1 o’clock on Sunday already.
At about 8:30 Saturday night time, they positioned cornerback Kevin Johnson on the COVID-19 reserve record, the place he joins beginning cornerback Denzel Ward and 4 others, who will all need to miss the Steelers recreation.
The others are linebackers B.J. Goodson and Malcolm Smith, security Andrew Sendejo, and tight finish Harrison Bryant. It’s unknown but if Johnson is constructive or if he’s a detailed contact. If he’s constructive like the opposite 5, he’d need to isolate for at the very least 10 days and would miss the Wildcard spherical subsequent weekend if the Browns make the playoffs.
Johnson seemingly would have began the sport rather than Ward, who examined constructive for the virus on Thursday. Ward, the Browns’ second-best defensive participant behind Myles Garrett, won’t solely miss Sunday’s win-and-in recreation in opposition to the Steelers, he might miss the primary playoff recreation subsequent weekend no matter it’s in on Saturday or Sunday.
The Browns referred to as up undrafted rookie A.J. Inexperienced to happen Johnson’s place on the roster. Inexperienced (6-2, 198) was signed by the Browns out of Oklahoma State, and he’s spent the season on the follow squad.
Johnson’s addition to the record continues a season-long revolving door within the Browns defensive backfield. Sendejo and Ward examined constructive this week, and security Karl Joseph was activated off the reserve record as a contact of Sendejo’s and can play Sunday.
It was one other tumultuous COVID-19 day for the Browns general. They needed to shut down their facility within the morning for the third time in 4 days when a second assistant coach examined constructive. Later, the Browns introduced that offensive line coach Invoice Callahan and his assistant line coach Scott Peters will each miss the sport due to COVID-19 protocols.
One in all them examined constructive and will miss the Wildcard spherical. The opposite was a detailed contact. They be part of receivers coach/passing recreation coordinator Chad O’Shea as out for the Steelers. The 2 coaches who examined constructive might additionally miss the playoff recreation relying on a wide range of elements.
The Browns, who could make the playoffs for the primary time since 2002, stored their facility closed on Saturday and performed their walk-through nearly.
They bought 5 gamers again on Thursday from the COVID-19 reserve record in receivers Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and KhaDarel Hodge, and linebacker Jacob Phillips.
But when they preserve shedding defensive backs, they’ll make issues simpler than they hoped on backup quarterback Mason Rudolph, who will nonetheless have ability gamers corresponding to receivers Chase Claypool, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson, and tight finish Vance McDonald.
The Steelers had some vital COVID-19 woes of their very own Saturday with beginning cornerback Joe Haden, tight finish Eric Ebron and linebacker Cassius Marsh being positioned on the COVID-19 reserve record and dominated out for the sport.
That was after the Steelers had already dominated out Professional Bowlers Ben Roethlisberger, T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Maurkice Pouncey partially as a result of Pittsburgh (12-3) has already clinched the AFC North.
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LB Smith, TE Bryant test positive, but Landry, Higgins and 3 others activated
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