Browns female executive Brownson to fill in again as coach Sunday against Steelers

Cleveland Browns chief of staff Callie Brownson will fill in for wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This will be the second time Brownson has been called on by coach Kevin Stefanski.

Earlier this season, she became the first female in NFL history to handle in-game assistant coaching duties when she substituted for tight ends coach Drew Petzing. He didn’t travel with the Browns to Jacksonville as his wife gave birth to the couple’s first child.

Stefanski again praised Brownson on Friday for her versatility. He added her to his staff shortly after being hired by Cleveland last year.

The team said earlier this week one of its coaches tested positive for covid-19 but didn’t identify O’Shea.

It’s been an interesting week for Cleveland’s wide receivers. Four of them, including Jarvis Landry, missed last week’s game in New York as covid-19 close contacts. They were activated Thursday and will play their biggest game in years without their position coach. The Browns will make the postseason for the first time since 2002 with a win over the Steelers. They reopened their facility Friday.

The team will be without several players, including top cornerback Denzel Ward on Sunday. The Browns did not have any new positive covid-19 tests Friday, and after getting league approval, practiced indoors. They canceled practice Thursday and kept their building closed to determine whether there was a virus outbreak.

Cleveland will be without Ward, starting linebacker B.J. Goodson, safety Andrew Sendejo and tight end Harrison Bryant when it faces the Steelers, who will sit starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and others so they are rested for the playoffs.