Browns Trying To Field A Complete Roster For Saturday

The Cleveland Browns entered Week 15 feeling good.

They were able to defeat the Baltimore Ravens over the weekend to improve to 7-6, keeping their playoff hopes alive ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Las Vegas.

Yet only bad news has come from the team this week.

The Browns reported a long list of positive COVID-19 tests to start the week.

Browns now have placed eight players on the Reserve/COVID19 list: Jarvis Landry, OT Jedrick Wills, TE Austin Hooper, G Wyatt Teller, DE Takkarist McKinley, G Drew Forbes, WR JoJo Natson and TE Ross Travis.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 14, 2021

Eight players, including a handful of starters, tested positive for the virus.

Unfortunately, that meant more positive cases were likely coming.

The news only got worse Wednesday morning.

Browns’ QB Baker Mayfield has tested positive for COVID-19, sources tell @FieldYates, @ByKimberleyA and me. Unless he produces two negative tests between Saturday, he’s out vs. Raiders.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 15, 2021

Baker Mayfield has joined the list, as has head coach Kevin Stefanski.

Latest in #Browns COVID situation:
HC Kevin Stefanski has also tested positive.

He recently disclosed that he has gotten the booster; still a chance he’s back for Saturday’s game vs the #Raiders

— KimberlEY A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) December 15, 2021

So will the NFL postpone the game?

Business As Usual

There is no indication the NFL will make any changes to the schedule.

A forfeit only comes into play if a team had a large amount of unvaccinated players causing an outbreak.

That is not the case with the Browns, which does mean there is a good chance many of the players, and Stefanski, could return two negative tests before Saturday.

From @TomPelissero in July. The forfeit thing was for unvaxxed causing a breakout, and the Browns have very few unvaxxed players.

So the answer right now is nobody knows, and it’s not hard to see back to back Saturday games as extra complicated. pic.twitter.com/bZX8R5rqjA

— Zac Jackson (@AkronJackson) December 15, 2021

So as it stands now, the Browns are in disarray.

Case Keenum and Nick Chubb remaining healthy provide hope, so fans will sit back and hope no more positive tests emerge.

It is Wednesday and the Browns play Saturday.

That still leaves time for two negative tests to take place for anyone on the list.

It also means false positives can be accounted for in the next few days.

This may just be the reality of the world right now and the most important thing is that no one deals with any complications from the virus.

Having so many vaccinated individuals on the team should mean that is the case.

Fans now get to see how the Browns respond, if they can even field a team for Saturday.