BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns are heading into their first road game of the season, preparing to travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars in Week 2. However, some of the players on the Browns will not be taking the field.
Cleveland released their game status updates with injury designations for Sunday's game on Friday following practice, and tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. and tight end David Njoku will not play, and tackle Jack Conklin is questionable for the game.
Conklin and Wills, who are each rehabbing knee injuries, both practiced throughout the week. Wills missed Wednesday's practice but returned in a limited fashion Thursday. He continued practicing on Friday, as did Conklin, who was limited all week but did not miss a day. Wills was ruled out after practice.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said that with Wills out again, they'll use the next 24 hours to determine who will start at left tackle. They want to see how Conklin comes out feeling after Friday's practice. If Conklin can't go, James Hudson III will be in the starting role once again.
Njoku had been ruled out at the start of the week. He avoided being placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury he sustained in the Week 1 game against the Dallas Cowboys but is considered "week-to-week" and ruled out for this week's game on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, there may have been some concern among fans who saw the Browns and Jaguars participation report on Thursday, which included defensive ends Myles Garrett and Za'Darius Smith. Garrett missed Thursday's practice, listed with a foot injury, and Smith missed listed with a back injury. However, neither injury was considered serious.
Both Garrett and Smith returned to practice on Friday and are cleared for Sunday's game.
This week, the Browns placed five defensive players—safety Juan Thornhill, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II, cornerback Myles Harden and linebackers Mohamoud Diabate and Tony Fields II—on injured reserve. Cleveland will be without its share of players but will still look to bounce back on the road after the disappointing season-opening loss to the Cowboys.
