Odell Beckham Jr. went home sick Thursday, but appears to have avoided the worst.
The Browns wide receiver’s COVID-19 test on Friday came back negative, according to Cleveland.com. The rest of the team and staff also returned negative tests, according to the report, clearing the way for the Browns to play the Steelers on Sunday as scheduled, barring any positive tests before then.
Beckham had been sent home on Thursday after feeling ill. While he had tested negative for the virus in his most recent test, the team was not taking any chances.
“With this day and age, you’ve just got to be so careful in this environment, so just want to make sure we’re being proactive in that regard,” coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters Thursday. “With how the protocols are, you have to be careful. So I don’t want to assume anything, but with all of our guys we’ll just make sure we follow the protocols and just be safe.”
Per the NFL’s recently updated protocol, because he was feeling sick, Beckham will have to return another negative test within 24 hours to get the green light to be available Sunday. The former Giants receiver has 21 catches for 294 yards and three touchdowns this season for the 4-1 Browns.
