Colts shut down facility after positive COVID-19 tests

UPDATED with news that Browns have all tested negative.

The Cleveland Browns faced the Indianapolis Colts this past Sunday and there is a possibility they may have more than just a win to remember the game by.

That is because the Colts announced on Friday morning that they are shutting down team headquarters for the day after “several individuals within the organization” tested positive for COVID-19:

The statement reads: “This morning, we were informed that several individuals within our organization have tested positive for COVID-19. The team is currently in the process of confirming those tests. In the meantime, the practice facility will be closed and the team will work remotely while following NFL protocols. We are in communication with the NFL and will have more information when available.”

What that means for the Browns is unclear, although the fact that the statement says that individuals within the organization - not players - have tested positive could mean that no one on the Browns was exposed during Sunday’s game.

That issue was resolved later in the morning when then news came out that all players and staff members on the Browns have tested negative for COVID-19:

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was sent home from practice on Thursday because of an unspecified illness, a move that was made just to be on the safe side, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski.

That lines up with the NFL’s policy where teams are required to isolate players and staff members who are not feeling well so they can determine the source of the symptoms, as Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer, explained on Thursday according to ESPN:

“We’re always going to err on the side of safety and we’re going to support the medical judgment of the medical staff. Everyone has the same goal here and that’s to operate as safely as we can. ... When you look at the big picture, our goal is to make sure we don’t put someone on the field that we think might be actively infected. If we’re going to make a mistake, we would rather make a mistake on the side of being cautious and keeping people off the field. If it turns out that those were non-COVID symptoms, I think we would all be happy with that outcome.”

The Browns will be back on the practice field later today as they prepare for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.