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BEREA, Ohio – The Cleveland Browns reopened their facility and plan to practice Friday afternoon after the latest round of COVID-19 tests produced no new positive results.
The Browns had to shut down their training facility the previous two days and canceled Thursday’s practice after consecutive days of testing positive.
Star cornerback Denzel Ward, tight end Harrison Bryant, linebackers Malcolm Smith and BJ Goodson and safety Andrew Sendejo all tested positive last week, according to ESPN and multiple reports. Bryant and Sendejo were placed on the reserve / COVID-19 list on Tuesday, and Smith and Ward were added to it on Thursday. Goodson entered the list last Saturday.
The Browns got good news on Thursday, as receivers Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and KhaDarel Hodge and linebacker Jacob Phillips were all activated off the reserve / COVID-19 roster. All five players, plus Goodson, sat in Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets while on the virus list.
Cleveland won’t have Goodson, Sendejo, Smith, Bryant or Ward for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The three players who tested positive this week are now at risk of missing a possible playoff opener as well.
The Browns are looking to clinch their first playoff spot in 17 seasons with a win on Sunday.
Despite the new cases, the game at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland stayed on schedule, according to an NFL spokesperson. The league is closely monitoring the Browns’ situation and overseeing standard contact tracing. NFL’s Dr Allen Sills said there was no indication that an epidemic within the Browns organization was underway.
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