NFL STAR Odell Beckham Jr. was among nine Los Angeles Rams players placed on the reserve/Covid-19 list on Tuesday as the Cleveland Browns battled a similar coronavirus outbreak.
A day after the NFL reported a sharp spike in Covid-19 cases — with 37 recorded in a single day on Monday — the Rams and Browns became the latest teams to be hit by the virus.
Beckham Jr, who scored a touchdown in the Rams win over the NFC-West leading Arizona Cardinals on Monday, was among several Los Angeles players entering the Covid-19 protocols.
The star wide receiver was joined by defensive back Terrell Burgess, tight end Brycen Hopkins, defensive back JuJu Hughes, tackle AJ Jackson, nose tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day, defensive back Jordan Fuller and practice squad members Jonah Williams and Tyler Hall.
The latest players to enter the protocols joined Rams team-mates Darrell Henderson Jr., Dont’e Deayon, Rob Havenstein and cornerback Jalen Ramsey on the Covid list.
Under rules agreed by the NFL and NFL Players Association, clubs are not allowed to specify whether a player has been placed on the list due to a positive test or for being in close contact with an individual who has the virus.
In Cleveland meanwhile, the Browns announced the team had entered the NFL’s enhanced Covid-19 protocols after eight players were put on the reserve list.
They included active players Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper, Jedrick Wills, Wyatt Teller, Drew Forbes and Takkarist McKinley. Practice squad players JoJo Natson and Ross Travis were also put on the list.
The NFL Network reported that all eight players had tested positive for Covid-19.
The Browns are due to face the Las Vegas Raiders in one of two rare Saturday games this weekend.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Cleveland could cope with the absences.
“I think we’ve seen through last season, have seen it this year, guys step up, and that’s what the NFL’s about,” Stefanski said.
“You’re without guys due to injury or otherwise, and guys step up. That’s why we have a bunch of players on this team that we trust.”
