BEREA, Ohio — A few weeks ago, this part of the season looked bleak for Browns defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo. Getting through the past month hasn't been easy for him.
That's because Okoronkwo has been dealing with a pectoral injury—one that was initially feared to be season-ending.
"The past month was a little dark for me. I was, I thought my season was over for sure," Okoronkwo said.
Okoronkwo sustained the injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 14. He had left the game with the injury but returned to play through it. However, it wasn't exactly a minor injury—it was so severe, that defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was sick realizing he played through it.
"Ogbo came back and played, God bless him. He had one arm. I mean, I didn’t even realize it as the game was going on. I watched the film, almost threw up that he was out there. He’s a tough guy and he actually did his job in the scheme," Schwartz said the week after the game.
The initial fear was that the injury would require season-ending surgery. But the Browns and the defensive end decided to get a second opinion. Okoronkwo was not placed in injured reserve but instead observed over the past few weeks.
The waiting was uncertain, and Okoronkwo wasn't always sure he'd be able to come back—until he got good news.
"I would say it was like mountains and valleys because I was, I was super sad and I was preparing for my next couple of months and then all of a sudden there was a glimmer of hope," he said.
On Wednesday, Okoronwo was cleared to return to practice, albeit limited. He continued practicing in a limited fashion on Thursday as well.
"Obviously, he’s trending in the right direction. He’s put in a ton of work, so it’s exciting to have him back out there," said head coach Kevin Stefanski.
While it might take some time for him to be back at full go, Okoronkwo said that being back around his team and on the practice fields has brought him out of the dark place he found himself in these past few weeks.
"It was a little roller coaster but I'm glad, I'm happy where I'm at right now," Okoronkwo said. "It felt good being around my guys, lifts my spirit."
As for his return to game action? Well, Okoronkwo is pushing to be back to help the team make a playoff run as they end the regular season locked in as the 5-seed.
"The plan is for me to be back at some point in the Super Bowl run that we're going on," he said. "I'm just going to keep on doing my part, keep working hard, making sure that I can help the team in the best way possible."
