BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns will take the next 24 hours to decide who will start at left tackle in Thursday's primetime game against the Pittsburgh Steelers after ruling out Jedrick Wills Jr. a day before the game.
Wills, who has been dealing with setbacks with a knee injury that ended his season last year and has lingered throughout this season, was able to practice on Tuesday in a limited manner after he and head coach Kevin Stefanski said he would try.
A day later, the Browns announced their injury designations for Thursday's game. In addition to ruling out Geoff Swaim, who is working through concussion protocol and was ruled out on Tuesday, the Browns also added Wills as out for the primetime matchup.
Wills called his knee injury "frustrating" and said that he's spent the season doing what he can to heal from the injury and be available to the Browns.
"Just pain management. Treatment. Staying on top of it. Things like that," Wills said.
The Browns' first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft had lost his starting role in Week 8 after opting not to play as he dealt with knee issues. Wills said he made a "business decision" not to play against the Baltimore Ravens as he tried to get the knee healthy, perhaps not the best choice of words for what he meant, his coach later said.
“I talked to Jed; it was a poor choice of words. I know the connotation of ‘business decision.’ That’s not how he meant it. Did not feel like he was near 100% to help us. But poor choice of words and he understands that,” Stefanski said.
Wills said they had cleared up the comments within the organization, and while he knows he may have rubbed some the wrong way with the choice of words, that doesn't bother him.
"I mean, it probably rubbed a lot of people wrong but. I mean, it is what it is. Everybody heard me explain what I said, so I really don't care, to be honest," Wills said. "[Stefanski and I] had a conversation, just to kind of clear the air. He knew what I meant, but just to make sure that everybody understands it as well."
With Wills out in Week 8, Dawand Jones was moved from right to left tackle, the first time he played on that side in his NFL career. Wills had a solid start on the left side and the Browns named him the starter at the position moving forward.
Unfortunately, Jones fractured his fibula Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, requiring surgery and ending his season.
RELATED: Browns T Dawand Jones out for season with fractured ankle
Jones' injury allowed Wills to reclaim the starting role at left tackle, which he said he was approaching the same way he had before he was benched.
"S***, just do what I do, play, play hard. Do what I can to the best of my abilities," Wills said.
But with the apparent setback with his knee and the team ruling him out for Thursday's game, someone else will need to step up and "play hard" on the left side of the line.
The Browns have Jack Conklin, who has been the starting right tackle, as well as recently re-signed Geron Christian on the active roster. Stefanski said Tuesday that Christian was "unlikely" to start for them Thursday as he just returned to the roster this week—which could change with Wills out.
On the practice squad, the Browns have Roy Mbaeteka and Lorenzo Thompson as options. And, of course, the Browns could get creative with their guards and shift things around to fill the void at left tackle.
That's what they'll spend the next day working through ahead of their 8:15 kickoff inside Huntington Bank Field, hoping to improve their 2-8 record against their AFC North foe.
“Just going to continue to work through that and we’ll see on Thursday," Stefanski said.
