CLEVELAND — While the Cleveland Browns have until 2 p.m. ET on Monday to make roster moves ahead of their Week 15 matchup vs. the Las Vegas Raiders, it appears they already know who their starting quarterback will be. According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Baker Mayfield and Case Keenum have each failed to test out of COVID-19 protocols, meaning that Nick Mullens will make the start at quarterback for the Browns.
Now in his fourth season in the NFL, Mullens has spent the bulk of the 2021 campaign on Cleveland's practice squad after being released by the Philadelphia Eagles following the preseason. The 26-year-old Mullens spent his first three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, appearing in 19 games (16 starts) and completing 64.5 percent of his pass attempts for 4,714 yards, 25 touchdowns and 22 interceptions.
With Mayfield's and Keenum's status for Week 15 in question, Cleveland also signed quarterback Kyle Lauletta -- who spent the 2021 preseason with the Browns -- from the Jacksonville Jaguars' practice squad.
News that neither Mayfield nor Keenum will be available to play vs. the Raiders comes three days after the NFL pushed Cleveland's Week 15 matchup from Saturday to Monday after the Browns had more than 20 players, as well as head coach Kevin Stefanski, test positive for COVID-19 over the course of the past week. With the NFL having since lowered the threshold for vaccinated players who test positive and are symptomatic to return to team activities, the Browns have activated linebacker tight end David Njoku, Anthony Walker Jr., guard Wyatt Teller, defensive end Takkarist McKinley and safety John Johnson III for Monday's game.
Meanwhile, the following players on Cleveland's roster currently remain on the COVID-19 list:
- QB Baker Mayfield
- QB Case Keenum
- RB Kareem Hunt
- WR Jarvis Landry
- TE Austin Hooper
- OT Jedrick Wills Jr.
- OT James Hudson III
- DE Jadeveon Clowney
- DE Ifeadi Odenigbo
- DT Malik McDowell
- LB Mack Wilson Sr.
- LB Tony Fields II
- LB Jacob Phillips
- CB A.J. Green
- CB Troy Hill
- S Grant Delpit
- S Ronnie Harrison Jr.
- P Jamie Gillan