Browns Have No New COVID-19 Cases; Will Reopen Facility for Practice

The Cleveland Browns announced they received no positive COVID-19 test results Friday and will open their team facilities to practice ahead of Sunday's Week 17 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported details before the official announcement:

The Browns' facilities had been closed for the past two days with several players being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Karl Joseph, Andrew Sendejo, Javon Patterson, Denzel Ward, Harrison Bryant and Malcolm Smith have been added to the list since Tuesday, per ESPN's Jake Trotter. Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones, KhaDarel Hodge and Jacob Phillips were activated Thursday after being placed on the list last week.

Despite the high volume of roster movement, Dr. Allen Sills of the NFL said the information they received doesn't show an outbreak with the coronavirus being passed between players, per Trotter.

"To date, we don't see any connection among the recent positive cases with the Browns, so there's no evidence of transmission within the facility," Sills said. "But obviously we're going to continue to work through that and continue to monitor the test results on a day-to-day basis."

Cleveland is facing a win-and-in scenario Sunday against the Steelers. While it can also clinch a playoff berth with a loss or tie—there are eight outcomes that result in a Browns postseason appearance—a victory over the AFC North rivals is the safest route.

Pittsburgh, which has already secured its spot in the playoffs, announced it will rest four key players in Ben Roethlisberger, T.J. Watt, Maurkice Pouncey and Cam Heyward.

That should give the Browns, who've been forced to prepare virtually for much of the week, a boost in their effort to win Sunday's contest.

Kickoff at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland remains scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.