Cleveland Browns star linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has been placed on the injured reserve, leaving the team with a huge hole in their defense for at least the next four games. Defensive end Sam Kamara has been elevated in the meantime.
Owusu-Koramoah suffered a neck injury during Week 8’s game against the Baltimore Ravens after he was hit by running back Derrick Henry with 40 seconds left in the third quarter., leading to him being carted off the field and transported to a local hospital for evaluation. He was kept overnight as a precaution and was released from the hospital the following Monday.
The Browns ended up winning 29-24, but the team has announced the linebacker has been placed on the injured reserve. Per official NFL rules, “Players must remain on this list for at least four games prior to returning to the active roster.” That means, presumably, that Owusu-Koramoah will be off the field until week 13 when the Browns face off against the Denver Broncos.
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Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah #6 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after a defensive play against the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
This is a hard blow for the Browns defense, of which Owusu-Koramoah is a key member. Owusu-Koramoah was chosen by the Browns in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. During his rookie season, he posted impressive statistics, including over 70 tackles, several tackles for loss, and multiple quarterback hits.
Before his injury this season, he had tallied 2.0 sacks and seven tackles for loss. Before entering the NFL, Owusu-Koramoah played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he earned the Butkus Award, was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and received unanimous All-American honors in his senior year in 2020.
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Cornerback CB Greg Newsome II said of his injured teammate, “He’s been unbelievable. I think he’s the best linebacker in the entire NFL. So, losing a guy like that is definitely very hard. But we got guys that stepped up for him in those moments – like Mohamoud Diabate played unbelievable out there. We got Winston Reid. We got a lot of guys that can fill that void as best as they can. It’s hard to replace a guy like JOK, he’s one of a kind.”
In addition to Owusu-Koramoah, the Browns defense will also be short linebacker Jordan Hicks, who is out on an elbow/triceps injury. Cornerback Denzel Ward is in concussion protocol after a head injury in Week 8 and did not practice on Wednesday, currently listed as “questionable.”
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