The Browns aren’t the only NFL team battling with COVID-19 issues and player availability entering Week 17. Cleveland’s opponent on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers, lost starting cornerback Joe Haden for the game after the ex-Browns standout tested positive for the virus on Saturday.
Haden will reportedly be placed on Pittsburgh’s reserve/COVID-19 list, though that has not yet been made official. Reports from ESPN, FOX and Sirius XM NFL Radio all indicate Haden tested positive.
If he did test positive on Saturday, Haden will also miss Pittsburgh’s playoff game in the wild-card round next weekend. A positive test means a player must sit for a minimum of 10 days.
Haden has 52 tackles and two INTs as a starter in 14 games for the Steelers. He’s in his fourth season in Pittsburgh after spending his first seven seasons with the Browns. A fan favorite from his time in Cleveland, Haden was the Browns’ first-round pick in 2010 out of Florida.
Haden offered this on his Twitter feed,
I’m so pissed and sad at the same time….. stay safe out here
— Joe Haden (@joehaden23) January 2, 2021
