CLEVELAND — As the Cleveland Browns head to Baltimore to take on their divisional foe in the Ravens, they'll do so with some offensive reinforcements after activating two players from the Reserve/Injured list.
Running back Kareem Hunt and right tackle jack Conklin were both activated from IR after being designated for return to practice on Wednesday.
The #Browns have officially activated Kareem Hunt and Jack Conklin from IR.
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) November 27, 2021
Hunt went down with a non-contact calf injury in the fourth quarter of the Week 6 game against the Arizona Cardinals. He was carted into the locker room after medical staff helped to keep him upright as he left the field. The running back could not put weight on his right leg and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
On Oct. 19, Hunt was placed on the injured reserve list with a calf injury. After missing the past five games, Hunt has been eligible to return for two weeks but was not quite ready to return from the injury, which was expected to keep him out around four to six weeks.
Conklin, who dislocated his left elbow in the Halloween game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, is also headed back to practice Wednesday.
After Conklin was injured, Stefanski called the injury "significant" but said he hoped he’d be back at some point this season.
The Browns placed Conklin on the injured reserve list on Nov. 6 ahead of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, deeming him out for at least three weeks. After missing three games, Conklin is now eligible to return from IR if healthy.
Both Conklin and Hunt returned to practice Wednesday and coaches and teammates alike were excited to see them return.
“I really think it's just his energy that he brings, it'll be huge for us. I don't see us using him a lot differently than we have in the past. Really just that one-two punch with him and Nick [Chubb], but any time you get him back on the field, it's good for the team. He brings a lot of energy," offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said. “The same with Jack. We're getting healthy, which is a good thing for us down the stretch here. Having Jack back will be just as important for us offensively. Blake [Hance] has a done a nice job of stepping up in his place, but Jack is a very good player. Really excited to get both of those guys back.”
The Browns are trending the right way in regards to their injuries, with just one player—wide receiver Anthony Schwartz—ruled out ahead of Sunday's game against the Ravens, and two players—wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones and cornerback Troy Hill—listed as questionable to play. Schwartz is in concussion protocol, Peoples-Jones is working through a groin injury and Hill is working through a neck sprain.
In addition to activating Hunt and Conklin, who will both be listed on the injury report for Sunday's game as questionable, the Browns also made other roster moves ahead of Sunday's game.
The team waived defensive end Joe Jackson and guard Hjalte Froholdt. Both will now head to waivers where they can either be claimed by another team or clear waivers and become free agents who can sign with a team of their choosing or back with the Browns practice squad—if that was the Browns' plan.
Defensive end Porter Gustin and wide receiver JoJo Natson have been elevated from the practice squad to the active roster for Sunday's game.
The elevations of Gustin and Natson are part of a rule allowing a team to carry up to 55 players on the roster during a given week before the transaction deadline ahead of a game, giving the team a larger pool to choose from when selecting their 47 or 48 gameday active players. Following the game, the players elevated to the active roster for that purpose will revert back to the practice squad the day after the game.
Camryn Justice is a digital content producer at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @camijustice.
RELATED: Browns designate Kareem Hunt, Jack Conklin for return from Injured Reserve
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