Cleveland Browns left guard Joel Bitonio tested positive for COVID-19.
Bitonio and wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge both tested positive and will be ineligible for Sunday's Wild Card matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bitonio is a premier pass-blocker and was on the field for all but one of the Browns' offensive snaps this season. His absence is a downgrade for Baker Mayfield and the entire offense against a Steelers defense that led the league in sack rate (9.6 percent) this year.
Bitonio earned the second-best pass-blocking grade (85.5) and sixth-best offensive grade (84.6) from Pro Football Focus among all guards during the regular season. As a team, the Browns gave up a sack on 4.9 percent of dropbacks, ranking 11th.
Source: Tom Pelissero, NFL Network