Cleveland Browns season preview: Will Odell Beckham Jr. and Jadeveon Clowney play in Week 1 against the Chiefs?
With Week 1 quickly approaching, NFL teams are announcing injury updates for some of their players who could be questionable. For the Cleveland Browns, the list was a bit long, and included two impactful players on both sides of the ball in WR Odell Beckham Jr. and DE Jadeveon Clowney.
With the Browns traveling to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon, how will these injuries impact their plans in the rematch of the 2020 AFC Divisional round?
Will the Browns be without Beckham Jr. and Clowney?
The Cleveland Browns signed defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to complement Myles Garrett in defense. With Clowney not seeing a lot of action this preseason, the Browns were hoping to get him ready for Week 1 in practice. But due to an illness, which isn't COVID-19-related, Clowney missed two practices this week, which means his name has been added to the injury list.
On Thursday, though, Clowney returned to practice with the Cleveland Browns. The team believes he will be ready to travel to Kansas City, according to defensive coordinator Joe Woods. The Browns will need all of the help they can get as they fight Patrick Mahomes and an explosive Chiefs offense.
As for Odell Beckham Jr., it seems the Cleveland Browns are still being cautious with their star wide receiver. Beckham Jr., who tore his ACL against the Cincinnati Bengals last season, has continued to rehab his knee all offseason. He also hasn't had any contact, and the Browns training staff has been cautious with him.
The 28-year-old wide receiver has been participating in the Browns' practices all week long, sometimes at a limited status. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski released a statement on Friday afternoon saying the players listed as questionable will continue to be evaluated and that the final decision will come 90 minutes before the start of the game.
The Browns offense did show a lot of promise down the stretch last season, which earned them the second AFC Wild Card. Adding Odell Beckham Jr.'s hands and speed would allow Cleveland to be even more explosive and make the Chiefs' defense work a little more robust.
Additional Browns' players listed as questionable
The Cleveland Browns also listed the following players as questionable: safety Grant Delpit (hamstring), safety Ronnie Harrison (ankle) and center JC Tretter.
The Cleveland Browns have also listed LB Tony Fields II and G Michael Dunn as officially out for Week 1.