The Cleveland Browns closed their practice facility again to conduct contact tracing after a second player tested positive for COVID-19 in as many days, the team announced Thursday.
This is the fifth time a Browns player has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past two weeks.
The team announced later Thursday it had placed defensive end Porter Gustin on the reserve/COVID-19 list. He started in place of Myles Garrett, Cleveland's star defensive end this past Sunday. Garrett sat out the win over the Eagles and has been ruled out for Cleveland's game at Jacksonville this weekend.
Cleveland placed linebacker Sione Takitaki on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, and practiced with the offense and defense working at different times. The Browns held out eight players as a precaution Wednesday as the team conducted contact tracing. None of the players -- Dontrell Hilliard, Robert Jackson, Elijah Lee, Jacob Phillips, Malcolm Smith, Taywan Taylor, Tavierre Thomas and Mack Wilson -- were considered to be high risk and were expected back Thursday, according to team officials.
The Browns already have four players on the COVID-19 list in Garrett, Takitaki, defensive end Joe Jackson and fullback Andy Janovich.
Also Thursday, the Browns activated lineman Chris Hubbard from the reserve/COVID-19 list. Hubbard has appeared in seven games this season. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Nov. 13.