The Browns may be staring at a major problem before they ever get to Thursday Night Football.
Elgton Jenkins, who has started every snap at center this season, is on the injury report with a concussion, and that puts his status for Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers in serious doubt. For Cleveland, that’s a brutal development at the worst possible time.
Jenkins’ situation is especially strange because he was on the field for every down in the Browns’ win over the Carolina Panthers. The source of the concussion isn’t clear, nor is the moment it was first detected. What is known is that he was listed as DNP on Monday, when Cleveland held a walkthrough because of the short week.
If Jenkins can’t go, the Browns will have to turn to Luke Wypler or rookie Parker Brailsford at center. That’s no small adjustment.
The center is the one calling protections, identifying the middle linebacker, and helping set the tone for the rest of the offensive line before the snap. Jenkins had settled into that role and had already built good chemistry with his new group.
Wypler looks like the likelier option. He’s in his fourth NFL season, has appeared in 25 games with six starts, and filled in for Ethan Pocic down the stretch last year.
He handled every snap against the Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, and Steelers in Weeks 14 through 16, then played 67.3% of the snaps in the finale against the Cincinnati Bengals. He has been active in every game this season, though he hasn’t taken an offensive snap yet.
Brailsford brings a strong college background and a reputation for being ready, but he’s still waiting for his first NFL game action. He was a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft, and although he had a strong camp and drew praise as possibly the best center by several media outlets, he has been inactive in all three games so far.
That would make Wypler the likely starter, with Brailsford potentially stepping in as the backup if Jenkins sits.
However it shakes out, the Browns would be losing the man who has been anchoring the middle of an offensive line that has only recently started to settle in. Jenkins has also developed a strong connection with Deshaun Watson in this new offense, which only adds to the concern.
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Browns Passing Game Just Caught A Break Before Steelers Week 4
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For Cleveland, the timing matters because Porter would have been a name the Browns would have had to account for twice a year if he had stayed put. Instead, Pittsburghs secondary depth now looks thinner, with Jamel Dean and Asante Samuel Jr. as the primary corners, and that changes the challenge for a Browns passing attack trying to find any edge it can get in Week 4. [Read more 🡒]
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Steelers Face A Bigger Thursday Test Than Their Record Suggests
A short week has a way of stripping away the polish, and that is exactly what the Browns are walking into as they head into a Thursday matchup in Pittsburgh. Both teams are 2-1, which gives this meeting a little more weight than a typical early-season divisional game, especially with Cleveland trying to show it can travel well and handle a Steelers team that has been steadier than its record might suggest.
The numbers point to a tight game, with quarterback play and the ground attack both likely to matter in a big way. Jaylen Warren has been part of Pittsburghs offensive conversation, while Cleveland has gotten attention from Harold Fannin Jr. as the Browns continue to sort out what kind of weekly identity they want on offense, and the betting markets have even framed Cleveland as an underdog worth a look. [Read more 🡒]