The Browns have closed their facility due to positive COVID-19 tests for the second time in less than a week.
A statement on Wednesday morning announced that the team’s headquarters were closed after a player and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. They also closed the facility and delayed their trip to New Jersey after a player tested positive last Saturday.
Contact tracing is underway to determine other players who may need to remain away from the team. Saturday’s contact tracing resulted in four wide receivers missing Sunday’s loss to the Jets.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said those players are expected back Thursday as long as they continue testing negative. The Browns put three other players on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday, however, and Tuesday’s news raises concern that there could be more players struck from the active roster ahead of Sunday’s game against the Steelers.
That game has major playoff implications for the Browns and the NFL will likely do anything it can to avoid postponing a Week 17 game, although a wider outbreak may make that difficult.
