CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns have placed eight players on the NFL's reserve/COVID-19 list, including wide receiver Jarvis Landry, tight end Austin Hooper, offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. and offensive guard Wyatt Teller. Defensive end Takkarist McKinley and guard Drew Forbes were also placed on the COVID-19 list, as were practice squad members JoJo Natson and Ross Travis, with the Browns having entered the NFL's enhanced COVID-19 protocols.
Meanwhile, tight end David Njoku, linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. and punter Jamie Gillan remain on the reserve/COVID-19 after having been placed on it last week.
Per NFL rules, a vaccinated player can return from the COVID-19 list after returning two negative tests 24 hours apart. Meanwhile, an unvaccinated player is required to remain on the COVID-19 list for at least 10 days after returning a positive test.
As a result of being placed in enhanced protocols, all of Cleveland's team meetings on Tuesday will be held virtually, with all tiered personnel being masked while indoors at the team's facility in Berea.
On Monday, the NFL reported 37 positive COVID-19 tests across the league, an unusually high number in comparison to previous weeks. According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases -- which has mirrored nationwide trends -- has led the NFL and the NFL Players Association to consider enhanced COVID-19 protocols league-wide heading into the final four weeks of the 2021 season.
Laying claim to a 7-6 record, the Browns are scheduled to host the Las Vegas Raiders at FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday, in a critical matchup for both teams' chances in the AFC playoff picture.