- The Washington Times - Tuesday, January 5, 2021

The Cleveland Browns are once more dealing with issues stemming from coronavirus cases, and this time the team will be without head coach Kevin Stefanski, among others, for Sunday’s wild card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Browns announced Tuesday that Stefanski, two additional members of the coaching staff and two players have tested positive for the coronavirus. Those five individuals will all be unavailable for Sunday’s game, should it go ahead as scheduled.

The team’s contingency plan calls for special teams coordinator Mike Priefer to serve as the acting head coach. Cleveland has shut down its training facility for the fifth time in 10 days while contact tracing efforts take place.

“The team will continue to consult with the league and medical experts to determine the appropriate next steps as the health and safety of our players, coaches, staff and the entire community remains our highest priority,” the Browns’ statement read.

Cleveland has played the last few weeks despite various players missing time due to the coronavirus. The team still made the playoffs for the first time since 2002, toppling a Steelers team last weekend that was sitting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

• Andy Kostka can be reached at akostka@washingtontimes.com.

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