Latest On Browns’ COVID-19 Situation
The Browns’ COVID-19 situation will keep at least four players out of their crucial Week 17 game. Linebacker Malcolm Smith and tight end Harrison Bryant are the players who tested positive for the coronavirus, sources tell NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). They’ll be held out of Sunday’s tilt against the Steelers, along with linebacker B.J. Goodson and safety Andrew Sendejo. 
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Although the team reopened its facility after a contact tracing effort Wednesday, the Browns closed it again Thursday. They will, however, have their top four receivers back this week. Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and KhaDarel Hodge are off the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list. So is linebacker Jacob Phillips. The Steelers-Browns rematch remains on schedule for 1pm ET Sunday.
Denzel Ward, however, is the latest Browns player to run into COVID trouble. The Browns’ No. 1 cornerback tested positive for the coronavirus and is out Sunday, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports (on Twitter). He is out for Sunday’s game and would be a long shot to play in the Browns’ playoff opener, should they qualify.
The Browns are playing to snap the NFL’s longest active playoff drought. If they win, they’re in. If they lose, they’ll need the Colts to do the same, but that would hinge on a quality performance from the lowly Jaguars. If the Browns lose and the Colts win, they’ll need a Titans loss, plus wins from the Ravens and Dolphins to sneak into the postseason.
On the plus side, the Steelers indicated they will rest Ben Roethlisberger this weekend. Plus, they’ll be without top defenders Devin Bush and Bud Dupree, who limited the Browns to just six points in their October meeting. As it stands, Football Outsiders gives the Browns a 44% chance to hold at the No. 6 seed and a 20% chance to make it as the No. 7 seed.
Texans Won’t Consider College Coach
The Texans are casting a wide net in their head coaching search. However, they’re not looking to pull a candidate from college to the pros. Th Texans are planning to hire a coach with previous NFL experience, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle hears. 
[RELATED: Texans Interview Marvin Lewis]
In recent weeks, we’ve heard buzz about Ohio State’s Urban Meyer, Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald, Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck, and others from the NCAA ranks. Meanwhile, the Texans’ early interview slate has been focused on seasoned NFL vets, like Jim Caldwell and Marvin Lewis.
The Texans’ next GM (who will not be the same person as the head coach) should help dictate the search the rest of the way. That hire will likely come before the HC pick. Many expect Seahawks OC Brian Schottenheimer to meet with Texans brass before all is said and done. The pool may also include Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, a reported fave of quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Dolphins’ Ryan Fitzpatrick Tests Positive For COVID-19
The Dolphins will be without Ryan Fitzpatrick for Sunday’s game against the Bills. The backup quarterback has tested positive for COVID-19, as Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweet. 
Fitzpatrick has been the steady hand and occasional fill-in behind rookie Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins won’t have that safety net for their pivotal Week 17 game. Instead, they’ve signed Jake Rudock to serve as their temporary QB2.
“It hurts. He’s a leader on our team. He brings energy,” Dolphins safety Eric Rowe said (via ESPN.com’s Cameron Wolfe). “I’m sure it’s worse for him because he loves the game and no one wants to catch COVID. With that, you have to push forward. COVID is a real-deal thing whether you don’t have symptoms or you do. Just praying he doesn’t have symptoms or he didn’t pass it to his kids.”
FitzMagic’s latest outing boosted the Dolphins to a 26-25 win over the Raiders. All in all, the 38-year-old is 4-3 as a starter in 2020. He’ll be watching from a distance as the Dolphins look to clinch their spot with a win over Buffalo.
Ravens To Extend Jimmy Smith
The Ravens and cornerback Jimmy Smith have agreed to an extension, agent Drew Rosenhaus tells NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Once finalized, it’ll be a one-year add-on that, technically, could be worth up to $5MM. In reality, Smith will receive $500K to sign and $2MM in base comp (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). The rest of the $5MM figure comes from $2.5MM in not likely to be earned (NLTBE) incentives.
Smith was originally set for free agency, though it would have been a shock to see him land elsewhere. He’s spent his entire career in Baltimore since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2011. Last year, he briefly dipped his toe in the free agent waters only to return on a one-year deal worth $3.5MM, plus $2.5MM in incentives.
Smith made the fewest starts of his career (five) in 2019, thanks in large part to a knee injury that sidelined him for much of the season. This year, he’s managed to appear in 11 of 15 possible games. Smith has missed the last two games with a shoulder injury, so he may or may not see time against the Bengals on Sunday. In any event, the Ravens have multiple paths to the playoffs and a 90% probability of clinching, per FiveThirtyEight.
Smith has been dogged by injuries, but he’s been a steady hand when healthy. Now, the versatile vet will remain in Baltimore through his age-33 season.
Seahawks Want To Re-Sign Chris Carson
In a few months, running back Chris Carson will be free to sign with any team. Head coach Pete Carroll hopes that team will be the Seahawks. 
“I do know Chris has got to…look out for himself,” Carroll said (via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times). “So he’s got to see what the situation is. We would love for him to be with us. He’s been a terrific part of our team, and hopefully we can keep that going. In my mind, I can’t imagine anything else happening.”
Carson has flashed serious ability since entering the league in 2017, greatly outperforming his seventh-round draft status. At the same time, he’s been hindered by injuries. In 2019, he notched 278 carries for 1,230 yards, both career-highs, to go along with seven touchdowns. He also tackled on 37 catches for 266 yards and two TDs though the air. Unfortunately, his season ended just before the postseason, due to a fractured hip.
Even though he lost four games to a mid-foot sprain this year, he been remarkably efficient. Heading into Week 17, Carson has an average of 4.9 yards per carry, which would edge his breakout 2018 season.
The Seahawks will have to balance their affinity for Carson with the numbers game. This year’s free agent class will also include safety Jamal Adams and cornerback Shaquill Griffin. Meanwhile, they still have 2018 first-rounder Rashaad Penny and youngsters Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas under contract.
Lions To Place Kenny Golladay On IR
For all intents and purposes, the Lions’ season is over. It’s also officially over for wide receiver Kenny Golladay, interim head coach Darrell Bevell announced. 
Golladay has been out of commission with a hip injury and limited to just five games throughout the year. It’s hardly the platform he wanted with free agency on the horizon. The 27-year-old, ideally, says that he would like to stay in Detroit for 2021 and beyond. But he also wants a market value contract, which could put him in the $18-20MM-per-season range — provided that he’s healthy.
“You know, [the Lions] believed in me,” Golladay said recently. “If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. Then I go somewhere else and ball out and play. But like I said, I’m a loyal person and of course I want to be here. I started my career here.”
The Lions, meanwhile, are in a holding pattern after the dismissal of Bob Quinn. The Lions’ next GM — whoever that may be — would have to clear significant salary cap space to either franchise tag Golladay or furnish him with a lucrative long-term pact.
Golladay’s fourth season will end with just 20 catches for 338 yards and two touchdowns. It’s a far cry from his 2019 showing of 65 grabs for 1,190 yards and an NFL-leading 11 receiving TDs, leading to his first-ever Pro Bowl nod.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/30/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: K Sam Koch
Cleveland Browns
- Activated from IR: S Ronnie Harrison
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Braden Smith
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on IR: DE Clelin Ferrell
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Daryl Worley
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Jalen Richard
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: C Ryan Groy; Groy remains on IR
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from IR: LB Micah Kiser
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: WR Isaiah Ford
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Riley Reiff
New England Patriots
- Waived: TE Jordan Thomas
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
New York Jets
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB La’Mical Perine; Perine tested positive for the coronavirus
- Placed on IR: OL Josh Andrews
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: K Tristan Vizcaino
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: KR Jaydon Mickens
- Placed on IR: RB Kenjon Barner
Browns Close Facility Due To COVID-19
3:13pm: While several Browns remain on the coronavirus list, they have completed a contact tracing effort and reopened their facility, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com tweets. They also added center Javon Patterson to the practice squad COVID list, Cabot adds (via Twitter).
11:06am: On Wednesday, the Browns closed their team facility due to a positive COVID-19 test. This comes after the Browns learned that a coach and a practice-squad player have tested positive for COVID-19 (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero).
The Browns have also placed safety Karl Joseph, Andrew Sendejo and Harrison Bryant on the reserve/COVID-19 list, a sign that he was likely in close contact with one or both of those individuals.
The Browns were in similar territory last week with the ripple effect of B.J. Goodson‘s positive COVID-19 test. Contact tracing deemed several Browns wide receivers Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins and Donovan Peoples-Jones to be high-risk close contacts, keeping them out of Sunday’s game against the Jets. The Jets went on to win 23-16, bumping the Browns to 10-5 and knocking themselves out of the No. 1 draft pick sweepstakes.
The Browns can make the playoffs for the first time in a long time with a win over the Steelers in Week 17. Alternatively, they can still reach the postseason if the Colts fall to the Jaguars. There’s also a third scenario that would give them a playoff berth, though that would be dependent on the outcome of three different games.
Colts To Sign Jared Veldheer
The Colts are set to sign tackle Jared Veldheer to the practice squad, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Veldheer will likely be elevated to the varsity squad between now and Sunday to help fill the void for Anthony Castonzo. 
[RELATED: Colts’ Anthony Castonzo Done For Year]
Veldheer, 33, spent some time with the Packers late last year and even started in a playoff game. After that, he retired for the second time in his career. Now, he’s making yet another return with yet another opportunity for postseason action.
With the season on the brink, the Colts are left paper thin at left tackle. Veteran Will Holden, who started against the Steelers, has an ankle injury of his own that will keep him out this weekend. The Colts may turn to Chaz Green, but the right tackle hasn’t performed well on the opposite side. On short notice, Veldheer could see snaps against the Jaguars.
Another option as the Colts shuffle the front five: All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson. Nelson does his best work on the interior, but he’s also played some LT in emergency spots.
Colts’ Anthony Castonzo Done For Year
Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo will miss the rest of the year due to an ankle injury, head coach Frank Reich announced. It’s a major blow to the offensive line as the team enters a make-or-break Week 17 tilt against the Jaguars. 
“You feel sick for AC going down like he did on a Thursday practice,” quarterback Philip Rivers said (via ESPN.com’s Mike Wells). “Maybe it was a matter of time before something happened. He’s had a heck of a year, a big part of what we do offensively, run game and pass protection. He’ll be missed.”
Castonzo is set for surgery, taking their long-tenured starter out of the lineup. When healthy, the Colts’ offensive line has been their greatest strength, thanks in large part to Castonzo. He’s anchored the blindside since his rookie year in 2011, showing consistency and durability for much of his pro career. Though Castonzo has never made the Pro Bowl, he’s started in all 144 of his games with quality performances.
In 2019, the Boston College product graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 ranked tackle in the league. And, his 81.3 overall score was even stronger than his 2017 and 2018 showings. He still has plenty of football left in the tank, though he’s got just one non-guaranteed year left on his deal, which carries a $16MM cap hit.
Right tackle Chaz Green, who has struggled on the left side in the past, could be tasked with snaps on the blindside.