CLEVELAND — While the Cleveland Browns added their starting center JC Tretter to the Reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, they also got two more players back from list with others expected to follow before Saturday's Christmas Day game against the Green Bay Packers.
Safety Grant Delpit and rookie tackle James Hudson III were activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list Friday and returned to practice the same afternoon.
Delpit tested positive for COVID-19 last Thursday and was placed on the list Friday while Hudson tested positive and was placed on the list Saturday.
Cornerback A.J. Green, safety Ronnie Harrison and quarterback Case Keenum all tested positive the same day as Delpit but remain on the list. linebackers Tony Fields II and Mack Wilson as well as running back Kareem Hunt were all placed on the list at the same time as Delpit but remain on the list.
With 18 players still on the COVID-19 list, the Browns do expect more players to be activated in time for Saturday's game.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Thursday that left tackle Jedrick Wills, wide receiver Jarvis Landry and defensive tackle Malik McDowell will all come off the COVID-19 list after spending 10 days on it.
Under the NFL's testing out protocols, players have several ways to be removed from the list using testing, but if they are unable to test out of quarantine can return after 10 days away from the team.
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That 10-day rule will also apply to quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was placed on the list last Wednesday after testing positive for COVID-19 but has not been able to test out.
Mayfield is expected to start on Saturday, but depending if he's able to be cleared from the list Friday or Saturday remains to be seen.
“We'll have a walkthrough on gameday. That's something that we typically do on a late afternoon start like this, and that's the benefit, certainly, if we are able to get Baker back like we anticipate, if not tomorrow, on gameday we will certainly do that," Stefanski said. "With Baker and any of the players, when you don't practice, you also have to understand that those players have banked many, many reps. With the quarterback, we have plays, concepts and things in that we have many, many reps on, going back to training camp, going back to last year, etc. with the players who will be in there.”
As the Browns await to see if any other players can test out of quarantine before the game, and with travel plans booked for Friday, the Browns will have a plane on standby Saturday morning for anyone who becomes available after the team leaves Friday.
"Some guys may test out on Saturday morning who you were not anticipating having so you may have more than one person heading to Green Bay," Stefanski said.
RELATED: Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter tests positive for COVID-19
Camryn Justice is a digital content producer at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @camijustice.
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