CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns placed a key member of the defensive line on the Reserve/COVID-19 list three days before their final game of the season.
Defensive tackle Malik Jackson was placed on the COVID-19 list Thursday, joining four others on the designated list including running backs D'Ernest Johnson and Dexter Williams, safety Jovante Moffatt and kicker Chris Blewitt, who was placed on the list Thursday morning.
Under the NFL and NFLPA's adjusted COVID-19 protocols, Jackson could test out of quarantine before Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals, but with just three days before the game, it would be difficult.
RELATED: NFL announces updated COVID-19 protocols, testing strategy
With the Browns eliminated from playoff contention in Week 17, their final game won't get them any closer to a postseason, or a winning record for that matter. But head coach Kevin Stefanski said that starters who can play will, and the team has made it clear they still have at least one thing to play for—each other.
"What's there to play for?’ That's not even in our vocabulary. I don't understand what that even means," said quarterback Case Keenum, who will start Sunday with Baker Mayfield on injured reserve and preparing for shoulder surgery. "Like I said before, this is the National Football League. You have guys in this locker room, myself included and I can speak for myself, who we have been dreaming about playing in the NFL since we were kids, all of us. It's a dream come true to be able to go out there and represent not only the name on the back of our jerseys – our family’s – but the name on the front. There's a lot of pride. There's a lot of pride in Cleveland. I've experienced that in the short two years that I've been here. We have a lot of pride, and we have a lot of things to play for."
RELATED: Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield sets date for shoulder surgery, source says
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
