BECKHAM NEEDS NEGATIVE TO PLAY
Odell Beckham Jr. will be good to go Sunday, provided the Browns wide receiver continues to test negative for COVID-19.
Kevin Stefanski spoke with Beckham on Friday before addressing media, and the coach told reporters the three-time Pro Bowler is feeling well enough to face the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend at Heinz Field.
“He’s doing better, yes,” Stefanski said on Zoom.
The Browns sent Beckham home Thursday with an illness, but his COVID-19 test result came back negative Friday morning.
Actually, all of tests the Browns took Thursday proved to be negative, so the team kept its Berea headquarters open Friday while its most recent opponent experienced a coronavirus scare.
The NFL recently told teams to keep members of their organization out of club facilities when they begin to experience symptoms such as coughs and sore throats. Protocols stipulate Beckham needs two negative tests separated by 24 hours to rejoin the Browns in person. His most recent test result will be known this morning at the latest.
The Browns off icially listed Beckham as questionable to face the Steelers, but Stefanski made it clear Beckham is expected to play as long as he tests negative.
Patriots cancel practice
From New England to Atlanta to Indianapolis, the focus was not on football. It was on, not surprisingly, coronavirus tests.
The Patriots canceled practice Friday and later placed center James Ferentz on the reserve/ COVID-19 list. He became the fifth player on the team to test positive for the virus.
With the Colts, there were four positive tests that, when retested, came up negative. The Falcons returned to their facility one day after abandoning it when they had a second positive.
Coach Frank Reich did not identify who had the false positives but acknowledged if it wasn’t a player, it was someone who worked closely with the players. He did say the four were kept out of the facility.
Jimmy Garoppolo’s sprained right ankle felt much better this week in practice, making the 49ers confident their quarterback can bounce back from a rough performance last week that got him pulled at halftime.
Garoppolo initially injured the ankle in a Week 2 win against the Jets and returned last Sunday against Miami after being limited most of the week at practice. He never looked comfortable and threw two interceptions before getting pulled at halftime during a 43-17 loss to the Dolphins.
Garoppolo was a full participant in practice all week for the Niners (2-3) leading into Sunday night’s home game against the Rams.
“It’s feeling great this week. It really is,” Garoppolo said Friday. “Just made a lot of improvements, just a couple extra days I think to consistently get better. So, it’s just one of those things you’ve just got to keep working at it.”
Notable
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) and defensive tackle Kenny Clark (groin) will be “ready to go” Sunday at Tampa Bay after both players missed multiple games with injuries. Packers cornerback Kevin King’s status for the Buccaneers game is much less certain as he deals with a quadriceps injury. LaFleur has ruled running back Tyler Er vin (wrist) out for Sunday’s game.
The Steelers will face the Browns without Pro Bowl guard David DeCastro (abdominal injury) and WR Diontae Johnson (back).
Seven-time Pro Bowl WR Julio Jones (hamstring) returned to practice as a limited participant and hopes to play Sunday when the Falcons visit Minnesota.
NFL leading rusher Dalvin Cook will sit out Minnesota’s game on Sunday because of a groin injury, giving Alexander Mattison the opportunity for his first career start at running back.
The Lions ruled out CB Desmond Trufant for Sunday’s game at Jacksonville and have put TE Hunter Bryant on injured reserve. Trufant is out with a hamstring injury.