CLEVELAND BROWNS NEWS

Focusing on shoulder rehab Watson, who won't start Sunday's contest against the Seahawks, is slated focus on rehabbing his shoulder injury throughout the week and then rest on game day, Kelsey Russo of the B...

Impact With Watson dealing with some residual swelling in his shoulder after exiting early in this past Sunday's win over the Colts, head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Wednesday that PJ Walker is slated to start Sunday's contest. Meanwhile, Dorian Thompson-Robinson will serve as Walker's backup, so expect the Browns to make Watson inactive for the contest. Per the report, the Browns' plan is to have Watson travel with the team to Seattle, but the signal-caller will likely be formally ruled out Friday following the release of the Browns' final Week 8 injury report.

OCTOBER 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Missing practice Wednesday Goodwin didn't participate in practice Wednesday due to a back injury, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

Impact In the Browns' Week 7 win over the Colts, Goodwin played a season-high 18 snaps but may have sustained the back injury somewhere along the way. He'll probably need to practice Thursday or Friday to have a chance to play Sunday at Seattle.

OCTOBER 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Expected to avoid IR Ford (ankle) is responding well to treatment and may miss only a week or two of game action, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Impact The right high-ankle sprain Ford suffered in Sunday's 39-38 win over the Colts isn't considered severe, so Cleveland is hopeful he'll avoid a stint on injured reserve, which would keep him out for a minimum of four games. Ford is still in line to miss at least the Browns' Week 8 game in Seattle, leaving Kareem Hunt (thigh) and Pierre Strong as the likely leaders of Cleveland's backfield.

OCTOBER 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Browns QB Deshaun Watson out Week 8, PJ Walker to start

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Wednesday that PJ Walker will start for Deshaun Watson (shoulder) in Week 8.

OCTOBER 25, 2023

Slated to miss practice Wednesday Njoku won't practice Wednesday due to a knee issue, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

Impact Njoku logged 72 of a possible 75 snaps on offense in the Browns' 39-38 win over the Colts this past Sunday, finishing with five catches for 54 yards on nine targets. The knee issue is a new concern for Njoku, but with no reported issues coming out of this past Sunday's contest, he may just have been held out of Wednesday's session for maintenance purposes. The tight end will have two more chances to practice in advance of this weekend's game against the Seahawks.

OCTOBER 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Browns' Deshaun Watson out this week against Seahawks, will miss 4th game with right shoulder injury

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will not play again this week with a strained right shoulder, a nagging injury that has already cost him three games

OCTOBER 25, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Won't practice Wednesday Hunt (thigh) isn't in line to practice Wednesday, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

Impact Hunt's Week 8 status gains added import with lead back Jerome Ford (ankle) expected to miss a week or two due to the injury he suffered in this past Sunday's 39-38 win over the Colts, per Jake Trotter of ESPN.com. Due to the thigh injury of his own, Hunt was viewed as a game-time decision heading into the Week 7 contest, but he suited up and took 10 carries for 31 yards and two touchdowns while failing to secure his lone target. The Browns likely didn't plan to lean on Hunt as heavily had Ford not exited the contest early, as Hunt ended up splitting snaps with third-stringer Pierre Strong following Ford's departure even though the game was competitive throughout. Hunt now has two more chances to return to practice ahead of this Sunday's game against the Seahawks, though head coach Kevin Stefanski told Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram on Wednesday that he expects Hunt to be available this weekend.

OCTOBER 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Set to start Sunday Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced that Walker will start Sunday's game against the Seahawks.

Impact Walker -- who was signed to the Browns' 53-man roster earlier Wednesday -- will make his second start of the season and should be in store for his third extended outing in a row while Deshaun Watson focuses on rehabbing his injured throwing shoulder. After Watson missed the final three quarters of the Week 7 game against the Colts upon experiencing a setback with the shoulder injury that had kept him out for the previous two games, Walker came on in relief and completed 15 of 32 pass attempts for 178 yards and one interception in the Browns' 39-38 win. The Browns have won both of the games that Walker has appeared in this season, but it's largely been on the strength of the defense and kicking game rather than the quarterback, who has completed just half of his passes for 5.6 yards per attempt while throwing three picks.

OCTOBER 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Won't start Sunday Watson is expected to focus on rehabbing his injured throwing shoulder this week after head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Wednesday that PJ Walker will serve as the Browns' start...

Impact The Browns haven't officially ruled Watson out for the contest, but expect the team to confirm as much by the end of the week. Along with Walker and Watson, the Browns have rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson on hand as another option at quarterback, so he'll presumably serve as Walker's understudy if Watson is in fact ruled out. Assuming Watson responds well to rehab for the right rotator cuff strain that kept him from playing Weeks 4 and 5 and resulted in his early removal in the Browns' Week 7 win over the Colts, he could have a chance to return to the starting lineup Week 9 versus Arizona.

OCTOBER 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Seahawks vs. Browns Prediction, Odds, Picks - Oct 29

Preview the week 8 matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns with predictions, odds, over/under, spread, betting lines and m...

OCTOBER 25, 2023 • DATA SKRIVE

Not practicing Wednesday Ford (ankle) won't practice Wednesday, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

Impact Kareem Hunt (thigh) will also sit out Wednesday's session, and with Nick Chubb (knee) done for the season and Jake Trotter of ESPN.com having already reported that Ford is expected to miss 1-to-2 weeks, it's not surprising that the Browns signed Nate McCrary and Jordan Wilkins to the practice squad this week to add healthy bodies to a depleted running back room. For now, Pierre Strong profiles as the healthiest back on Cleveland's roster, though Hunt would likely serve as the Browns' lead option Sunday in Seattle if he can overcome his own thigh injury.

OCTOBER 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Won't practice Wednesday Watson (shoulder) isn't slated to practice Wednesday, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

Impact As Sunday's game against the Seahawks approaches, Watson's status remains unclear, with the quarterback now having two more chances to practice in some capacity ahead of the contest. After sitting out two straight games with a right rotator cuff strain, Watson returned to action this past Sunday against the Colts but didn't return for the final 48 minutes of the contest while his throwing appeared to be affected by the injury. If Watson is unavailable this weekend, PJ Walker -- who was signed to the Browns' 53-man roster Wednesday -- would be in line to draw the start versus Seattle.

OCTOBER 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Added to active roster The Browns signed Walker to the 53-man roster Wednesday.

Impact Per Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, the move was expected given that Walker has already been elevated from the practice squad the maximum three times. With Deshaun Watson dealing with a shoulder issue ahead of Sunday's game in Seattle, Walker is a candidate to make his second start of the season after playing the majority of the Browns' Week 7 win over the Colts in relief of Watson.

OCTOBER 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Diagnosed with rotator cuff strain Watson has a strain of the subscapularis within the rotator cuff Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Impact Per the report, this type of injury in baseball normally causes pitchers to miss 4-to-6 weeks. He is hoping to shorten that window while rehabbing the injury, so it remains to be seen how long that will take. The veteran quarterback has missed two games over the past three weeks and took just 12 snaps in Week 7 before exiting. PJ Walker subsequently replaced him under center and is expected to continue doing so should Watson miss more time.

OCTOBER 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

2023 NFL Week 7 betting recap, odds: Home underdogs perfect against spread

How did you fare on your NFL wagers? Here's a betting recap for Week 7, including straight up and against the spread results.

OCTOBER 24, 2023

Likely Week 8 starter Hunt is expected to serve as the starting running back Week 8 against the Seahawks, as Jerome Ford (ankle) will be unavailable, Zac Jackson and Nando Di Fino of The Athletic report...

Impact Ford will miss 1-to-2 weeks after leaving Sunday's win over Indianapolis. Without Ford, the Browns rolled with a nearly even split of Hunt (19 snaps) and Pierre Strong (23). Hunt, who joined Cleveland during Week 3, may not be ready for a full-time workload, but his three touchdowns the last two weeks puts him on the fantasy radar.

OCTOBER 24, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Moves up depth chart Strong is expected to serve as the top backup to Kareem Hunt while Jerome Ford (ankle) is unavailable, Zac Jackson and Nando Di Fino of The Athletic report.

Impact Strong had season highs in snaps (23) and carries (eight) in the wild 39-38 win over the Colts in Week 7. He saw a lot of field time in the fourth quarter after Ford sustained his injury. While Hunt might be considered the starter, it's best to look at this as a 1A/1B situation. The 28-year-old Hunt may no longer be a full-time runner and catcher. He's been a regular on injury reports since signing with Cleveland during Week 3 and hasn't played more than 28 snaps in a game. Strong out-snapped him, 23-19, Sunday. The Browns could explore the running back market ahead of next week's trade deadline, but as of now, Strong is in line to see his most activity of the season.

OCTOBER 24, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Slated to miss time with ankle injury Ford is reportedly dealing with what Adam Schefter of ESPN describes as a low grade, high right-ankle sprain that is expected to sideline the running back for one-to-two weeks.

Impact The team has yet to confirm Ford's injury, but it looks like Ford is trending toward missing Sunday's road game against the Seahawks. If that's the case, Kareem Hunt and Pierre Strong would be in line to lead the Browns' Week 8 backfield. Prior to exiting Sunday's 39-38 win over the Colts, Ford had carried 11 times for 74 yards and a TD and caught two of his four targets for 20 yards.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Goes back to practice squad Walker reverted to the Browns' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction report.

Impact Deshaun Watson returned from a two-game absence Sunday at Indianapolis but lasted only 12 plays before undergoing a concussion check. He cleared the protocol for head injuries, but out of an abundance of caution, the Browns opted not to risk the existing strained rotator cuff in his right throwing shoulder. The team considers Watson day-to-day moving forward, as coach Kevin Stefanski told Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal on Monday. In Watson's stead, Walker completed 15 of 32 passes for 178 yards, no touchdowns and one interception against the Colts, and the latter could be in line for another start if Watson isn't able to gain medical clearance ahead of Sunday's game at Seattle.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Baby born at Lucas Oil Stadium during Browns-Colts game is niece of WR David Bell

A woman gave birth inside Lucas Oil Stadium during the Browns-Colts game on Sunday, and it turns out the baby is the niece of Cleveland wide...

OCTOBER 23, 2023

Browns win again without Watson as the team is finding a way despite QB's injury, uncertain status

The Cleveland Browns rallied in the fourth quarter for the second straight week and pulled out a thrilling, unexpected victory

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Browns QB Deshaun Watson’s playing status unknown after hitting his head Sunday

Deshaun Watson passed NFL concussion protocol testing Sunday, but the Browns kept him out and did not elaborate on his status Monday.

OCTOBER 23, 2023

Gets first pick of season Ward recorded four solo tackles and an interception in Sunday's 39-38 win at Indianapolis.

Impact Protecting a one-score lead in the middle of the third quarter, Ward was able to diagnose a Michael Pittman flag route and step in front of the pass for his first interception of the 2023 campaign. He figures to see a healthy dose of DK Metcalf (ribs/hip) if the latter is back in action when Cleveland travels to Seattle in Week 8.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Team taking 'day-to-day' approach Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that Watson will undergo additional medical testing to ensure the quarterback isn't dealing with any further damage to the right rotat...

Impact After missing two games over the past three weeks due to the shoulder injury, Watson practiced fully Friday and was given the green light to start in the Browns' Week 7 game against the Colts. However, Watson took just 12 snaps and completed one of five pass attempts for five yards and an interception before exiting in the first quarter and not returning to the eventual 39-38 win. Cleveland never officially ruled Watson out for the game after he passed all concussion testing, but Stefanski said at halftime that he wasn't willing to expose Watson to any further injury to his shoulder, resulting in PJ Walker finishing out the contest. Assuming Watson's upcoming tests reveal nothing concerning, the Browns presumably will continue to evaluate him in practice this week before deciding whether he's fit to return to the starting role Sunday in Seattle.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Adds to DPOY resume Garrett recorded nine tackles (seven solo), two sacks, two forced fumbles, one pass breakup and a blocked kick in Sunday's 39-38 win at the Colts.

Impact Garrett was the author of one of the most dominant individual performances of the season and was instrumental in Cleveland picking up its fourth win of the season. If the two strip sacks -- one of which was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown -- weren't enough, Garrett jumped over the offensive line early in the second quarter to block a 60-yard field-goal attempt that would have given Indianapolis the lead. He's now up to 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles through six games this season.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE