CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns announced Saturday that the team had placed linebacker B.J. Goodson on the reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of Sunday’s game against the New York Jets. The team later placed five other players on the list, including wide receivers Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, KhaDarel Hodge and Donovan Peoples-Jones as well as linebacker Jacob Phillips.
Earlier in the day, the team announced that a player had tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the team to close its facility.
The team’s flight to New Jersey was also delayed as a result of the positive test while the team conducted contact tracing.
RELATED: Browns player tests positive for COVID-19, flight to New Jersey for Jets game delayed
Goodson was placed on the list, created for a player who either tests positive for COVID-19 or who has been quarantined after having been in close contact with an infected person.
The team is not permitted to comment on any players’ medical status other than referring to the special COVID-19 reserve list, according to the team.
If, however, Goodson has tested positive for COVID-19 and is symptomatic, he will not be permitted to return to the team until at least 10 days have passed since the date symptoms were reported to the team, 24 hours have passed since last fever, other symptoms have improved, the club physician approves the return and local requirements are met, per NFL protocols.
If Goodson has tested positive and is asymptomatic, he will have to pass a cardiac screen, wait 10 days from when the positive test was collected, have two consecutive negative PCR tests separated by 24 hours and have his return approved by the team physician.
In either scenario, Goodson will not be able to return in time for the final regular season game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in accordance with the league's COVID-19 protocols.
As for Landry, Hodge, Higgins, Peoples-Jones, and Phillips—if they were placed on the list as "High Risk" close contacts and have negative COVID-19 tests, they will have to wait five days after the date of their last exposure with the infected individual and have negative PCR tests each day before being able to return.
They will not be able to participate in Sunday's game against the Jets.
Landry had not missed a single game in his NFL career, playing in 110 consecutive games since 2014.
ANNOYED
— Jarvis Juice Landry (@God_Son80) December 26, 2020
The only wide receiver on the active 53-man roster who was not placed on the reserve-COVID-19 list was recently acquired Marvin Hall.
With the game still on as scheduled, the Browns elevated wide receivers Ja'Marcus Bradley and Derrick Willies from the practice squad as well as linebacker Montrel Meander.
The Browns also activated rookie tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday, making him eligible for the game on Sunday against the Jets.
Wills was placed on the list on Thursday.
Unfortunately on Sunday morning, Wills was ruled out of Sunday's game due to illness, unrelated to COVID-19.
The team elevated center Javon Patterson from the practice squad as a COVID-19 replacement when they announced Goodson had been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Patterson is in his second season out of Mississippi and was originally selected by the Colts in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He spent last season on the injured reserve list and joined the Browns practice squad on Nov. 10.
The Browns confirmed the team is set to depart to New Jersey for the Jets game at 7 p.m. Saturday evening.
