CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns announced defensive end Myles Garrett has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Friday.
We will place DE Myles Garrett on the reserve/COVID-19 list. pic.twitter.com/BCyHgg6nXs
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 20, 2020
The Browns released the following statement:
“This morning the Cleveland Browns were informed that a player has tested positive for COVID-19. Contact tracing has been conducted and the individual has self-isolated. He has not been in the facility all week and zero high-risk contacts have been identified. Our facility remains open and our practice time for today remains as scheduled. As part of the NFL-NFLPA intensive protocols, all meetings this morning will take place remotely. The team will continue to consult with the league and medical experts on any appropriate next steps as the health and safety of our players, coaches, staff and the entire community remains our highest priority.”
The Browns, who are in playoff contention for the first time in years, will be without Garrett on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles after the team placed him on the COVID list.
Garrett could be in jeopardy to miss next week’s game in Jacksonville because he must be away from the team for at least 10 days and receive medical clearance before returning.
Offensive lineman Chris Hubbard was placed on the list last week after testing positive.
But losing Garrett for any period is especially tough. The No. 1 overall pick in 2017 has been playing at an elite level. He leads the league with 9 1/2 sacks and has changed several games with strip sacks while helping the Browns to their best nine-game record since 2014.
Garrett took to Instagram after being placed on the list to thank fans for the support.
"Not the news you want to hear but can’t thank y’all enough for the love. This continues to affect us all in so many ways, but we’ll get through it together. Be back soon, Dawg Pound," Garrett wrote.
The Browns said contact tracing has been conducted.
The Browns facility will remain open Friday and practice time remains as scheduled.
On Wednesday, Kevin Stefanski announced Garrett went home sick.
The reserve/COVID-19 list was 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 or persons.
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
