Browns’ Baker Mayfield, Case Keenum Ruled Out
Baker Mayfield and Case Keenum weren’t able to test out of the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols in time for today’s game (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). With that, Nick Mullens is set to start for the Browns against the Raiders today. 
[RELATED: Raiders-Browns Moved To Monday]
The Browns were able to activate safety John Johnson III from the list, but the bulk of their COVID-19 positive players from last week will be held out. To fill the roster, the Browns have elevated cornerbacks Brian Allen and Herb Miller, safeties Tedric Thompson and Jovante Moffatt, defensive end Joe Jackson, guard Hjalte Froholdt, and running back John Kelly for tonight’s game.
Without their top two QBs, the Browns will need a big day out of their running backs. Unfortunately, that group won’t include Kareem Hunt, who also finds himself on the COVID-19 list. Instead, they’ll look to Nick Chubb, who has 5.5 yards per carry on the year, and D’Ernest Johnson, the reserve who turned in a couple of impressive performances earlier this year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/19/21
Given the recent surge of COVID-19 cases throughout the league, we expected to see more roster churning today than we typically would on a December Sunday. Here are today’s minor (and not so minor) moves. This page will, of course, be updated throughout the day:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Jimmy Smith
- Promoted: DB Mazzi Wilkins
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: G Jon Feliciano
- Promoted: OL Jacob Capra
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Jadeveon Clowney (story)
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Wyatt Teller
- Promoted: OT Alex Taylor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Jason Huntley, WR Quez Watkins
Washington Football Team
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Cam Sims, DT Daniel Wise
Latest On COVID-19 Protocols
The NFL is continuing to modify its protocols in an effort to combat the COVID-19 outbreaks that have threatened to derail the final few weeks of the regular season. On Thursday, the league issued a statement advising that it was requiring masking regardless of vaccination status; mandating remote or outdoor meetings; eliminating in-person meals; and prohibiting outside visitors while on team travel.
However, per PFT, those additional protections will be removed after this weekend’s slate of games (Twitter link). Going forward, only teams with outbreaks will need to abide by those requirements.
That decision jibes with another modification, which is that fully vaccinated, asymptomatic players and staff will no longer be subject to weekly testing (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network). As Dr. Allen Sills noted, the healthcare industry is not routinely testing medical providers, and is instead testing in a more “targeted” fashion (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network).
Targeted testing for the NFL means that vaccinated individuals will be tested only if they are symptomatic. Unvaccinated individuals, meanwhile, will still be tested daily.
Even the Thursday statement that set forth what turned out to be temporarily enhanced protocols provided that a vaccinated and asymptomatic player will be eligible to return as soon as the day after one positive test (instead of having to test negative on back-to-back days). So the league has apparently decided that, at least during this period of rampant outbreaks, it doesn’t make sense to spend time and resources on players who have been vaccinated and who are not exhibiting any symptoms.
Interestingly, Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that a majority of players want to do away with COVID-19 protocols entirely. In other words, they want to eliminate all testing, all quarantine requirements, and operate just as they did in 2019. While one can certainly understand those sentiments, Pelissero says that union leadership does not feel that way and actually is still pushing for daily testing.
It is also worth noting, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, that players will not be required to get a booster shot in order to maintain “fully vaccinated” status. However, all other Tier 1 personnel — coaches, trainers, etc. — are required to get a booster by December 27. The same goes for Tier 2 personnel (GMs, football operations staffers, etc.).
NFL COVID List Updates
We are trying our best here at Pro Football Rumors to keep up with all of the updates throughout the league concerning players on the reserve/COVID-19 list. A lot of teams had high hopes during today’s testing as they were trying to get players activated in time for Sunday’s slate of games.
Here are updates as of 8:30 PM ET, Sat 12/18:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Chris Westry, WR Sammy Watkins
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Derrick Brown
Chicago Bears
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Eddie Goldman
- OC Bill Lazor, DC Sean Desai, STC Chris Tabor in COVID-19 protocols
Cleveland Browns
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Takkarist McKinley
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T James Hudson
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Trysten Hill, DT Osa Odighizuwa
Denver Broncos
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB P.J. Locke
Detroit Lions
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Ifeatu Melifonwu, DB Bobby Price, DB Tracy Walker
Houston Texans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Jonathan Greenard, G Lane Taylor
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Zaire Franklin
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Antwaun Woods
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Odell Beckham Jr., RB Darrell Henderson, CB Donte Deayon, TE Brycen Hopkins, OL Alaric Jackson, OLB Justin Hollins
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Joseph Noteboom, CB Robert Rochell
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Jevon Holland
Minnesota Vikings
- Four Coaches in COVID-19 protocols
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Xavier McKinney
New York Jets
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Folorunso Fatukasi, Practice Squad LB Noah Dawkins
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Breshad Perriman
Washington Football Team
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Jonathan Allen, DE James Smith-Williams, DE Casey Toohill, DE Montez Sweat
NFL COVID Protocols List
Until the Omicron variant of COVID-19 made its name known, the NFL seemed to have secure control over the potential exposure of the virus throughout the league. Now outbreaks have been spreading through clubs like wildfire, forcing the NFL to postpone games and update their COVID-19 protocols in an attempt to get players under the protocol back to the field quicker.
It seems impossible to be able to keep up with the constantly growing list, but in an attempt to make sure every player and coach is reported, here is a list of NFL players and coaches in the league’s COVID protocols (updated as of 5:30 ET, 12/17/21):
Arizona Cardinals (one player)
Atlanta Falcons (three players)
- OLB Emmanuel Ellerbee
- Practice Squad DB Cornell Armstrong
- Practice Squad OLB Quinton Bell
Baltimore Ravens (five players)
- S Chuck Clark
- C Trystan Colon
- Practice Squad RB Nate McCrary
- Practice Squad WR Jaylon Moore
- Practice Squad WR Binjimen Victor
Buffalo Bills (two players)
- LB Tyrel Dodson
- T Dion Dawkins
Carolina Panthers (two players)
Chicago Bears (thirteen players)
- OL Larry Bloom
- DB Artie Burns
- WR Isaiah Coulter
- QB Andy Dalton
- DL Mario Edwards Jr.
- DL Eddie Goldman
- LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe
- DB Eddie Jackson
- TE Jesse James
- LB Sam Kamara
- RB Ryan Nall
- WR Allen Robinson II
- DB Duke Shelley
Cincinnati Bengals (two players)
- DB Chidobe Awuzie
- LB Clay Johnston
Cleveland Browns (twenty-three players, one coach)
- HC Kevin Stefanski
- S Grant Delpit
- LB Tony Fields II
- G Drew Forbes
- P Jamie Gillan
- CB A.J. Green
- S Ronnie Harrison Jr.
- CB Troy Hill
- TE Austin Hooper
- RB Kareem Hunt
- S John Johnson III
- QB Case Keenum
- WR Jarvis Landry
- QB Baker Mayfield
- DT Malik McDowell
- DE Takkarist McKinley
- DE Ifeadi Odenigbo
- LB Jacob Phillips
- G Wyatt Teller
- T Jedrick Wills Jr.
- LB Mack Wilson
- Practice Squad S Nate Meadors
- Practice Squad WR JoJo Natson
- Practice Squad TE Ross Travis
Dallas Cowboys (one player)
Denver Broncos (four players)
- RB Mike Boone
- S P.J. Locke
- OLB Malik Reed
- Practice Squad WR Seth Williams
Detroit Lions (two players)
- DB Jalen Elliott
- TE TJ Hockenson
Green Bay Packers (one player)
- DL Kenny Clark
Houston Texans (nine players)
- DB Terrence Brooks
- LB Kamu Grugier-Hill
- LB Christian Kirksey
- OL Justin McCray
- DB Terrance Mitchell
- DB A.J. Moore Jr.
- DL DeMarcus Walker
- Practice Squad DB Cre’von LeBlanc
- Practice Squad RB Jaylen Samuels
Indianapolis Colts (one player)
Kansas City Chiefs (two players)
- LB Willie Gay
- DT Chris Jones
Los Angeles Chargers (two players)
Los Angeles Rams (twenty-nine players)
- OL Tremayne Anchrum Jr.
- WR Odell Beckham Jr.
- LB Antoine Brooks Jr.
- S Terrell Burgess
- CB Dont’e Deayon
- OL Jamil Demby
- OL Bobby Evans
- S Jordan Fuller
- S Jake Gervase
- OL Rob Havenstein
- RB Darrell Henderson Jr.
- TE Tyler Higbee
- LB Justin Hollins
- TE Brycen Hopkins
- S JuJu Hughes
- OL AJ Jackson
- DL Sebastian Joseph-Day
- OLB Von Miller
- TE Johnny Mundt
- OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
- TE Jared Pinkney
- CB Jalen Ramsey
- ILB Troy Reeder
- Practice Squad DB Grant Haley
- Practice Squad DB Tyler Hall
- Practice Squad OLB Justin Lawler
- Practice Squad DB Kareem Orr
- Practice Squad LB Christian Rozeboom
- Practice Squad DL Jonah Williams
Miami Dolphins (four players)
- S Jevon Holland
- RB Phillip Lindsay
- WR Jaylen Waddle
- Practice Squad RB Gerrid Doaks
Minnesota Vikings (seven players)
- WR Dan Chisena
- DE Danielle Hunter
- RB Alexander Mattison
- WR Dede Westbrook
- Practice Squad G Kyle Hinton
- Practice Squad WR Trishton Jackson
- Practice Squad RB A.J. Rose Jr.
New Orleans Saints (one coach)
- HC Sean Payton
New York Giants (nine players)
- LB Cam Brown
- CB Adoree’ Jackson
- S Xavier McKinney
- DB J.R. Reed
- CB Aaron Robinson
- WR John Ross
- WR Kadarius Toney
- LB Oshane Ximines
- Practice Squad DB Natrell Jamerson
New York Jets (five players)
- CB Justin Hardee
- WR Elijah Moore
- LB Hamsah Nasirildeen
- WR Jeff Smith
- QB Mike White
Philadelphia Eagles (two players)
- RB Jason Huntley
- WR Quez Watkins
Pittsburgh Steelers (two players)
- DT Montravius Adams
- Practice Squad DB Linden Stephens
Seattle Seahawks (two players)
- RB Alex Collins
- WR Tyler Lockett
Tennessee Titans (two players)
- WR Dez Fitzpatrick
- Practice Squad S Jamal Carter
Washington Football Team (twenty-four players)
- DT Jonathan Allen
- QB Kyle Allen
- S Troy Apke
- DE Will Bradley-King
- S Kamren Curl
- LB Milo Eifler
- S Darrick Forrest
- CB Kendall Fuller
- QB Taylor Heinicke
- TE Temarrick Hemingway
- LB Khaleke Hudson
- DT Matt Ioannidis
- C Keith Ismael
- C Tyler Larsen
- T Cornelius Lucas
- LB David Mayo
- TE Sammis Reyes
- DT Tim Settle
- WR Cam Sims
- RB Wendell Smallwood
- DE James Smith-Williams
- DE Montez Sweat
- DE Casey Toohill
- DT Daniel Wise
Dolphins Activate Myles Gaskin And Salvon Ahmed
Ahead of their game against the Jets on Sunday, the Dolphins will have two of their top three running backs available. Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed have been activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. 
The move makes both players eligible to play against the Jets; Jackson adds that, “at least one, if not both, likely would play on Sunday”. Miami’s other options at the position include veterans Malcom Brown and Duke Johnson, as recent acquisition Phillip Lindsay remains in isolation due to COVID-19 protocol.
Gaskin has been the lead back for the Dolphins this season, posting 526 yards and three touchdowns on 154 carries, adding 45 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns in the passing game. The 24-year-old’s 3.4 yards per carry have left the Dolphins wanting more from the ground game, though, leading to moves such as claiming Lindsay in November. Ahmed, meanwhile, has chipped in 266 total scrimmage yards in his second season in Miami.
Their return would be welcome against the Jets in particular, as New York has allowed just under 139 yards per game on the ground. That, coupled with the upcoming absence of standout rookie wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, should lend itself to plenty of rushing opportunities on Sunday.
Practice Squad Updates: 12/17/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DB Michael Joseph
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB John Brannen
- Released: P Drue Chrisman
Washington Football Team
- Placed on COVID-19 list: RB Wendell Smallwood
WFT-Eagles, Seahawks-Rams Games Expected To Be Pushed To Tuesday
Following news that the Raiders-Browns game will be postponed, it sounds like another two weekend games will be pushed back. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that the WFT-Eagles game, along with the Seahawks-Rams matchup, will likely be pushed to Tuesday. 
[Related: Raiders-Browns Moved To Monday]
Albert Breer of MMQB reports that the Washington-Philadelphia game has been moved to 7 p.m. eastern on Tuesday, December 21st.
Meanwhile, according to Jourdan Rodrique of The Athletic, the Seattle-Los Angeles game is currently planned to be played at 4 p.m. eastern time on Tuesday.
The news could have a significant impact on the injury front for the Eagles in particular. As the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane notes (on Twitter), starting quarterback Jalen Hurts was on his way to being available for the game had it been played on Sunday, so the postponement will only increase his chances of being able to suit up.
The fact that these games have been pushed back – as opposed to being cancelled outright – has financial significance for all players involved as well. As Schefter and ESPN colleague Dan Graziano point out, a forfeit by any team would have prevented the affected players from being paid for the week.
Browns’ Jadeveon Clowney Tests Positive For COVID-19
Two more Browns players are looking doubtful for this week. Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney has tested positive for COVID-19, according to Kimberley A. Martin of ESPN.com (on Twitter). And, earlier today, the Browns announced that linebacker Mack Wilson has also tested positive. 
With Clowney added to the list, the Browns are likely down to eleven healthy starters for tomorrow’s game against the Raiders. The league’s new COVID-19 rules could allow some players in the group to be cleared in time, but it doesn’t seem likely with ~24 hours until game time.
Clowney has started in all 12 of his games this year and, for the most part, looks to have rebounded well from his latest knee surgery. So far, he’s got 29 tackles and five sacks — two more sacks than he had in 2019 and 2020 combined. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus has him ranked as just the 45th best edge defender in the league. Regardless, the Browns can ill afford to play without him (and the other ~20 players on the COVID-19 list) as they push for a playoff spot.
Wilson, 23, has appeared in 13 games this season, including five starts. He’s got 40 tackles on the year, giving him 161 stops across the last three seasons.
Bills’ Dion Dawkins Tests Positive For COVID-19
Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins has tested positive for COVID-19, head coach Sean McDermott tells WGR 550 (Twitter link via Albert Breer of The MMQB). Unless Dawkins can pass a follow-up test between now and Sunday, he’ll be held out of this week’s game against the Panthers.
[RELATED: NFL Updates COVID-19 Protocols]
At 7-6, the Bills are jockeying for a Wild Card spot and still chasing the Patriots for the AFC East crown. Playing without Dawkins, the team’s starting left tackle since 2017, would obviously put them at a disadvantage.
Dawkins could be cleared in time, thanks to the league’s new protocols, but his medical history could also be a factor. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound lineman was hospitalized for four days this summer after developing severe COVID-19 symptoms. He lost 16 pounds during that stretch, so he may prefer to exercise caution.
Dawkins has been first string for all 13 of his games this year, giving him 72 career starts for Buffalo out of 77 total games. Even though this is his worst year to date, per the metrics at Pro Football Focus, he’s still ranked 45th among all qualified tackles. Last year, Dawkins placed 14th with an overall score of 80.6.