David Njoku: "It's Good to be Back"
The Cleveland Browns, who have been devastated by COVID-19 the past few days, are getting one of their players back when they need it the most. Tight End David Njoku announced on Instagram that he's been cleared from the virus, enabling him to be available for the team as they prepare for the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Browns just had to put fellow tight end Austin Hooper on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, so getting Njoku back is critical.
Combined with some cautious optimism regarding the availability of tight end Harrison Bryant, the Browns could be in reasonably good shape in that spot. Bryant suffered a high ankle sprain in the first matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.
The NFL is at least considering a change in the COVID-19 policy regarding vaccinated players who test positive as reported by Mark Maske of the Washington Post. If that were to be added quickly, the Browns could get far more than just Njoku back in the mix for Saturday.
The one player it wouldn't help is safety John Johnson III, who is unvaccinated. He would still be out 10 days and could miss both the game against the Raiders as well as against the Green Bay Packers.
For now, the Browns are planning as if they won't have a number of players including quarterback Baker Mayfield, wide receiver Jarvis Landry and their head coach, Kevin Stefanski.
Nevertheless, Njoku coming back is good news. Linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. and punter Jamie Gillan were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list the same day, so they may be back for the game as well.
