The Pittsburgh Steelers discovered that Joe Haden tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, forcing them to place him on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Besides Haden, the Steelers have also notably placed Eric Ebron on the COVID-19 list, per the team's official Twitter account.
We have placed CB Joe Haden, TE Eric Ebron & LB Cassius Marsh on the Reserve/COVID-19 List.https://t.co/KospwXIovT
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 2, 2021
It was revealed on Saturday that Haden tested positive for COVID-19, ruling him out for Sunday's game versus the Cleveland Browns. Under the NFL's new protocols for COVID-19, Haden will have to isolate for at least 10 days, which puts his status for the playoffs in jeopardy.
Despite Ebron being placed on the reserve list with Haden, it remains to be seen if they were deemed to be in close contact with each other. On the other hand, it is undetermined if Ebron tested positive for COVID-19 or if he's being placed on the reserve list as a precaution.
If Ebron did test positive, then he would join Haden as players who could miss Pittsburgh's playoff matchup next weekend. The Steelers enter Week 17 as the No. 3 seed in the AFC, but they could finish with the No. 2 seed secured should they win on Sunday and the Buffalo Bills lose.
Heading into Sunday, the Steelers are resting a few players in Ben Roethlisberger, Maurkice Pouncey, T.J. Watt, and Cameron Heyward. Head coach Mike Tomlin is prioritizing the team's health for the postseason rather than trying to improve the team's seeding.
In a unique season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing that the teams that can avoid positive tests this late in the season could be the ones playing in the Super Bowl in February.
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