The Browns’ Monday injury report delivered a jolt to a team that had just pulled off its second straight fourth-quarter comeback. Elgton Jenkins, the starting center who has steadied Cleveland’s new-look offensive line through the first three games, was listed as a nonparticipant with a concussion ahead of Thursday Night Football against the Steelers.
Cleveland’s report was only an estimate, since the team held walkthroughs Monday after Sunday’s win over the Carolina Panthers. Even so, Jenkins’ name on it is not a good sign for his availability on Thursday. He played all 70 offensive snaps against Carolina, so any concussion-like symptoms would have surfaced after the game.
It is not clear whether Jenkins has officially entered the NFL’s concussion protocol, but that appears to be the direction this is heading. If he cannot go, Cleveland’s interior line depth is suddenly under the spotlight against Pittsburgh’s defensive front.
Luke Wypler looks like the next man up. Based on training camp and the Browns’ first three games, the fourth-year pro would likely get the nod if Jenkins is sidelined in concussion protocol.
Wypler has been active on game day as the backup center and has logged 10 special teams snaps on the field goal block unit. He also got a heavy workload in camp when Jenkins was dealing with injuries - and likely some veteran rest - while rookie Parker Brailsford was out with a wrist injury to his snapping hand.
Brailsford has been inactive for each of Cleveland’s first three games, but that likely changes Thursday night. The Browns could be down to eight healthy linemen in Spencer Fano, Zion Johnson, Austin Barber, Tytus Howard, Dawand Jones, Zak Zinter, Wypler and Brailsford. If needed, Cleveland could also bring up KT Leveston from the practice squad for more help.
The likeliest setup, though, is Wypler starting with Brailsford behind him. Wypler started four games down the stretch in 2025 after Ethan Pocic suffered a season-ending injury, but the Browns were not exactly encouraged by what they saw. That helps explain why the new regime moved quickly to land Jenkins after the Green Bay Packers cut him in early March, then added Brailsford, the former Alabama standout, in the fifth round of April’s draft.
Cleveland had a few other injury notes to sort through as well. Wide receiver Tylan Wallace (knee) and guard Teven Jenkins (back) were listed as nonparticipants. Cornerback Tyson Campbell, who sat out Sunday’s game against the Panthers with hip and ankle injuries, was estimated as limited, along with safety Grant Delpit (shoulder) and Howard (knee).
Pittsburgh’s report included cornerback Jalen Ramsey as an estimated limited participant with a wrist injury and running back Rico Dowdle as a nonparticipant with a toe issue. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was listed as a full participant, suggesting he could be on track to make his 2026 debut Thursday night.
In Other News...
Pat Freiermuth Just Reopened An Ugly Browns Fan Reputation
Pat Freiermuth brought an old scar back into view this week when he revisited a rookie-season memory that stuck with him far beyond the final whistle. Ahead of the Steelers upcoming game against the Browns, the tight end described the scene around his game-winning touchdown in Cleveland, a moment that should have been about the play itself but instead turned into something far uglier in the stands.
Freiermuth said his mother was the one caught in the middle of it, and the memory has been enough to change her routine when the Steelers head to Cleveland. Even so, he made clear there are no lingering hard feelings, just a reminder of how quickly a night in the AFC North can turn personal and why certain road games still carry an edge no scoreboard can erase. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Keep Winning But One Problem Is Starting To Look Dangerous
The Browns have done enough through three games to sit at 2-1, but the way they have gotten there has left a growing concern hanging over an otherwise encouraging start. Cleveland has been flagged 34 times already, the second-highest total in the NFL, and the issue has become hard to ignore even as head coach Todd Monken and his staff continue to stress the need to clean it up.
The bigger worry is that the problem has not settled down, even with key players drawing repeated flags, including right tackle Tytus Howard. The Browns have been able to survive it by winning tight games and leaning on late scoring drives from Deshaun Watson, but the margin for error shrinks quickly when a team keeps putting itself behind the chains and giving away yards it cannot afford to lose. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Rookie Is Pushing Veterans In A Troubling Position Battle
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren arrived in Cleveland as a second-round pick with the usual rookie expectations, but his first three weeks have started to look more like a challenge to the veterans in front of him than a slow apprenticeship. His defensive snaps have been limited so far, yet when he has been on the field, he has made the most of it and drawn strong grades from PFF relative to other Browns defenders.
That kind of early efficiency can change a depth chart quickly, especially for a team trying to sort out its safety mix and steady itself against the run. Cleveland has reason to consider expanding McNeil-Warrens role if the current personnel at the position keeps leaving openings, and the next stretch could show whether the rookie is merely earning more trust or forcing a tougher conversation about who should be playing more. [Read more 🡒]