Browns place David Njoku on Reserve/COVID-19 list

The Cleveland Browns placed tight end David Njoku on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday.

While there is never a good time for something like this, especially with the Browns facing a divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, the timing is even more troublesome given that tight end Harrison Bryant is still nursing a high-ankle sprain, meaning the Browns could be without two of their three primary tight ends for the game.

If Njoku is vaccinated and tested positive, he can return once he is able to produce two negative tests 24 hours apart by Saturday, according to ESPN. The timing might be a little bit tight on that, but Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt landed on the Reserve/COVID 19 list on November 29 and was still able to play this past Sunday, so Njoku is not out until he is out.

If Njoku is unvaccinated and tested positive, he will be out for a minimum of 10 days. If he landed on the list as a close contact, he must be in quarantine for five days and will then be eligible to return if he produces a negative test.

To help pick up some of the slack, the Browns signed tight end Miller Forristall to the active roster from the practice squad.

The 6-foot-5 and 245-pound Forristall spent the opening week of the season on the practice squad of the Tennessee Titans before being released and subsequently signing with Cleveland. An undrafted free agent out of Alabama, he finished his collegiate career with 44 receptions, 505 yards and five touchdowns while winning two national championships with the Crimson Tide.

Forristall, who has never played in a regular-season NFL game, might not be much of a threat in the passing game, but his size could be helpful if the Browns line him up next to right tackle Black Hance (or whoever plays right tackle this week) to give Hance some help with his blocking.

Cleveland also signed tight end Ross Travis to the practice squad.

Travis is another large target at 6-foot-6 and 251 pounds. A basketball player at Penn State, Travis has played in 28 career regular-season games, with seven starts, after signing with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2015. In addition to the Chiefs, he has played for the Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals, and has 14 career receptions for 142 yards.

In other transactions on Tuesday, the Browns activated long snapper Charley Hughlett from the Reserve/COVID-19 list, restored fullback Johnny Stanton IV from the practice squad COVID-19 list, and released offensive guard Tristen Hoge from the practice squad.