CLEVELAND — With less than 48 hours to go until the Cleveland Browns' kickoff vs. the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day, quarterback Baker Mayfield has yet to test off of the COVID-19 list.
But with Saturday marking the 10th day since Mayfield was first placed on the list, the Browns' starting signal-caller will be eligible to play vs. the Packers, regardless of his testing status. On Thursday, Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski said that as long as Mayfield is healthy enough to play, he will, marking the clearest indication that the fourth-year quarterback will be under center for the Browns on Christmas.
"Like we have said, day to day. Taking this day by day," Stefanski said on Thursday. "Tomorrow, we will see if he tests out and is available to be with us tomorrow. If not, we will take it to Saturday. If he is as healthy as he has been and he is cleared and ready to go, then I anticipate him playing.”
The 26-year-old Mayfield, who is vaccinated, had previously indicated that he has been asymptomatic since testing positive for COVID-19 and even expressed hope that he would test negative in time to face the Las Vegas Raiders this past Monday. But while Cleveland is preparing as if Mayfield will be its starting quarterback in Green Bay, his inability to practice with the team has created some unique circumstances heading into the Browns' Week 16 matchup.
Stefanski, however, is confident that his team is up to the challenge.
“We will have a walkthrough on gameday. That is something that we typically do on a late afternoon start like this, and that is the benefit, certainly, if we are able to get Baker back like we anticipate, if not tomorrow," Stefanski said. "There are moving parts throughout this. With Baker and any of the players, when you do not practice, you also have to understand that those players have banked many, many reps. With the quarterback, we have plays, concepts and things in that we have many, many reps on, going back to training camp, going back to last year, etc. with the players who will be in there.”
Mayfield was one of more than 20 Browns players to have tested positive for COVID-19 over the course of the last week. With Cleveland center JC Tretter testing positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, the following Browns players currently remain on the COVID-19 list:
- QB Baker Mayfield
- QB Case Keenum
- RB Kareem Hunt
- WR Jarvis Landry
- OT Jedrick Wills Jr.
- C JC Tretter
- DE Jadeveon Clowney
- DE Ifeadi Odenigbo
- DT Malik McDowell
- LB Mack Wilson Sr.
- LB Tony Fields II
- CB Greg Newsome II
- CB A.J. Green
- CB Troy Hill
- S Ronnie Harrison Jr.
Earlier this week, the NFL implemented new protocols for more targeted COVID-19 testing, while lowering the testing threshold for vaccinated players who are asymptomatic to return to action. In the time since, multiple Browns players, including safety Grant Delpit, tight end Austin Hooper, linebacker Jacob Phillips and offensive tackle James Hudson III have been activated from the COVID-19 list.