HEADLINES

Year: 2023

Chiefs, Chris Jones Agree To Revised Deal

September 12th, 2023 at 8:45am CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 12: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes the new deal has the same base value of $19.5MM as it did before (minus the $1.1MM Jones lost out on by missing Week 1). Incentives can push its value as high as $25.17MM, though, meaning Jones has the potential to come out slightly ahead of what he would have earned by not holding out and incurring more than $3MM in financial penalties.

$2MM is available via playing time incentives, and Jones will earn that amount with a snap share of at least 50%. An additional $1.75MM is in place if he records 15 sacks, and another $1MM for again receiving a first-team All-Pro nod. A Defensive Player of the Year award and another Super Bowl will yield an extra $2MM.

Notably, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds the Chiefs will still have the option of franchise tagging Jones at the end of the season. Doing so would come at a cost of roughly $32.4MM, representing a 120% increase from his 2023 cap hit of $27MM. That would be a pricey endeavor on Kansas City’s part, but it would prevent Jones from hitting the open market in his bid to land another multi-year accord.

SEPTEMBER 11: After a high-profile holdout, Chris Jones is set to return to the field. The All-Pro defensive tackle has agreed to a revised one-year contract with the Chiefs, as his agency announced on Monday. The team has confirmed the news.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that no new years have been added to Jones’ deal, meaning he is still only on the books for 2023. He adds, however, that Jones can earn “considerably more money” than the $19.5MM in salary he was originally due to make given the presence of incentives on this new agreement.

Jones was absent from the team through training camp, a move which resulted in more than $2MM in fines being racked up. The threat of forfeited weekly game checks did not seem to dissuade his holdout lasting through the start of the regular season, as he hinted at an absence stretching into Week 8. That will no longer be the case, though the 29-year-old added to the compensation he has walked away from by missing a $1.1MM game check in the Chiefs’ season-opening loss.

After seeing a number of young defensive tackles sign lucrative second contracts, Jones made it clear he was aiming to move much closer to Aaron Donald in terms of annual compensation. The latter’s $31.67MM AAV was unmatched in terms of all defensive players until Nick Bosa signed a record-breaking 49ers extension last week. Still, a gap existed between Donald and a pack of other DTs (led by Quinnen Williams) with respect to earnings and guaranteed money. Jones appears to have met his goal of at least moving into second in the position’s market.

The four-time Pro Bowler was connected to an asking price of $28MM per year on a three-year extension, while Kansas City has been reported to be treating Donald’s Rams accord as an outlier. The Chiefs picked up talks with Jones not long before the start of the regular season, but little progress was known to be made before the team’s Thursday night defeat. In the aftermath of that contest, he still appeared as though the sides were not close to working out an agreement.

No long-term deal has been worked out, meaning Jones will still be able to hit the open market in March. That is, of course, unless this new agreement does not include a provision preventing the Chiefs from being able to use the franchise tag to keep Jones in place for 2024. Such a move would be likely if the Mississippi State alum were to continue his high-end production, which included 15.5 sacks last season (matching a career high) en route to helping the Chiefs to another Super Bowl title.

“Chris is an elite player in this league, and over the last seven years, he’s really developed into a leader on our team,” general manager Brett Veach said in a statement. “He’s been instrumental to our success and Super Bowl championship runs and it was a priority for us to keep him in a Chiefs uniform… Through this process two things were obvious, Chris wanted to be a Chief, and the Katz brothers worked diligently on his behalf.”

While further details are yet to emerge, Jones is now set to make his return, something which will pay substantial dividends for the defending champions. It will be interesting to see where he winds up relative to Donald in terms of earning power and the structure of his reworked pact.

Jets Fear Aaron Rodgers Suffered ‘Significant’ Achilles Injury

September 11th, 2023 at 11:59pm CST by Ely Allen

11:59pm: Robert Saleh confirmed the team fears its recently acquired quarterback suffered a “significant” Achilles injury. Rodgers took four snaps before suffering what could well be a season-ending injury. Although the Jets came back to defeat the Bills with Wilson at the controls, the main focus is understandably on Rodgers’ status.

“The MRI is probably going to confirm what we think is going to happen, so prayers tonight,” Saleh said, via ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “But it’s not good.”

Rodgers, 39, said in March he strongly considered retiring before reversing course and announcing his intention to play for the Jets. The Packers sent him to New York in a blockbuster trade, one that involved a conditional 2024 draft choice going to Green Bay. Rodgers failing to play 65% of the Jets’ offensive snaps this season would reduce the Packers’ 2024 compensation to a second-round pick, rather than a first.

For the Jets, the immediate damage could obviously be massive. Riding the NFL’s longest active playoff drought, the Jets entered the season with tremendous optimism due to the Rodgers acquisition. While Rodgers has missed chunks of a season in the past — 2013, 2017 — this would be a new chapter and deal a crushing blow to the snake-bitten franchise that traded for him.

10:09pm: Aaron Rodgers‘ debut in New York lasted all of four offensive snaps before he was helped off the field with an apparent ankle injury. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported as a cart came to take Rodgers to the locker room for X-rays in an air-cast. Ultimately, while X-rays were reportedly negative, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, Rodgers was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

It’s unclear for now what the official diagnosis of the injury will be. Since X-rays don’t show soft tissue, one can assume they were looking for broken bones in the foot or ankle. Any broken bones would likely take several weeks to heal, but negative X-rays are a good sign. A fear exists, however, Rodgers is dealing with an Achilles injury, The Score’s Jordan Schultz reports.

With Rodgers out of the game, the Jets called on third-year quarterback Zach Wilson, who started 22 games over the first two years of his career. After amassing a 3-10 record as a rookie starter, Wilson had to come back from injury to start in his sophomore season. Although he was able to reach a record of 5-4 last year, he ended up getting demoted to third-string behind Mike White and Joe Flacco. He eventually made his way back to the field before getting benched once again in favor of Chris Streveler.

With White now in Miami and Flacco and Streveler no longer on the roster, Wilson once again becomes the go-to guy in New York. He’ll be forced to run a Rodgers-centric system for the remainder of tonight, and many in New York will be hoping that Rodgers can escape a serious injury and make it back to the field before long.

Ravens Not Looking Externally For RB Help

September 11th, 2023 at 9:43pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens were forced to swallow a heavy pill when starting running back J.K. Dobbins suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the team’s win over the Texans this weekend. For solutions, many thought to look at the free agent or trade market, both of which are ripe with talented veterans, but head coach John Harbaugh said today that Baltimore will not be looking externally for running back help, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.

With options like Kareem Hunt and Leonard Fournette in free agency and a player like Jonathan Taylor reportedly available via trade, no one would blame Harbaugh and company for bringing in an experienced starter to tote the rock. Instead, the Ravens feel confident in the options they have in-house to take over with Harbaugh even indicating that they will be operating with a committee in the backfield.

When Dobbins exited Sunday’s game, fifth-year backup Justice Hill stepped in and immediately scored a touchdown, his first since the 2019 season. While he later scored a second touchdown, matching his career-high for a season, Hill only amassed nine yards on eight carries. Veteran backup rusher Gus Edwards, who has filled in as a starter at times in his career, was a bit more productive with his eight carries, racking up 32 yards.

Adding veterans didn’t quite deliver the desired result two years ago when Dobbins, Edwards, and Hill all missed the 2021 season with season-ending injuries before the year even began. That year, Baltimore turned to a committee featuring veteran backs like Devonta Freeman, Latavius Murray, and Le’Veon Bell in conjunction with Ty’Son Williams. Freeman and Murray each reached 500 rushing yards and delivered six scores apiece, but overall, the running game was dependent on quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Still, the Ravens added veteran rusher Melvin Gordon in the offseason, ultimately cutting him and signing him to the practice squad before the regular season. Gordon seems like an obvious callup to help carry the load without Dobbins. The Ravens also saw some impressive preseason performances from undrafted rookies Keaton Mitchell and Owen Wright, landing both on the team’s roster in some capacity to start the year. Mitchell currently resides on injured reserve himself, so he’s unable to contribute at this time. Wright, though, landed on the practice squad and may also hear his number called up to the active roster this season.

Dobbins is now expected to undergo surgery to repair his Achilles tendon this Friday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Pelissero points out that Rams running back Cam Akers recovered from a similar surgery in less than six months two years ago. Dobbins will be aiming for a similar timeline, bringing him back shortly after the start of the 2024 league year.

In other injury news, Harbaugh confirmed that starting free safety Marcus Williams “will be out for a while” after suffering a pectoral muscle injury, according to Ravens editorial director Ryan Mink. Williams missed seven games in his Baltimore debut last year and will be forced to miss more in 2023, but the team is holding out hope that he will not be out for the season. He’ll be forced to make a decision soon on whether or not he will undergo surgery, as well.

In Williams’ absence, the team turned to Geno Stone yesterday. Stone started the seven games missed by Williams last year, as well. The team also has versatile defensive backs Brandon Stephens and Ar’Darius Washington that they can turn to. Stephens recently moved back to safety after spending time at cornerback when the depth chart was thin there. Washington has always been a safety but got extensive work in the slot this offseason.

Starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum suffered a sprained knee and ankle, respectively, forcing them both to leave the game early, as well. Both players are reportedly “week-to-week” but could miss the trip to Cincinnati this Sunday. Versatile sixth-man Patrick Mekari stepped in for Stanley yesterday and is an easy choice to start as an injury replacement as he’s done so often in the past. Offseason addition and practice squad callup Sam Mustipher filled in at center and will likely continue to do so, if needed.

The team will certainly hope that they won’t need to rely on Mekari and Mustipher for too long, and though they are clearly missing many bodies for the upcoming matchup with their division-rival, they’ll hope to get some back, too. Both cornerback Marlon Humphrey and tight end Mark Andrews will have a chance to play this weekend. There’s still work to be done, but things have been looking up recently for both players.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/11/23

September 11th, 2023 at 7:27pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves following the first NFL Sunday of the season, including a gameday elevation for the first Monday Night Football game of the year:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/11/23

September 11th, 2023 at 6:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s practice squad transactions from around the league:

Carolina Panthers

Las Vegas Raiders

Seattle Seahawks

The veteran linebacker, Jones, lands back with the team he spent the preseason with after getting released in final roster cuts two weeks ago. The former Falcons defensive staple failed to really catch on last year after getting traded to the Browns, failing to amass over 100 tackles for only the second time in his NFL career, the first time being when he only played six games (and already had 53 tackles). While he failed to crack the 53-man roster in an impressive returning group of linebackers in Carolina, he’ll hope to work his way back onto the field from the practice squad.

Steelers DT Cameron Heyward To Undergo Surgery

September 11th, 2023 at 5:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

5:55pm: Heyward will indeed undergo surgery, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. The procedure will take place on Wednesday, and it is expected to keep him sidelined for up to eight weeks. For the second straight season, therefore, the Steelers will exit Week 1 with a foundational member of their defense unavailable for much of the campaign.

3:00pm: The Steelers’ defense will be shorthanded while attempting to rebound from their Week 1 loss. Defensive tackle Cameron Heyward suffered a groin injury during Sunday’s game and he is facing a multi-week absence as a result, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Garafolo adds that an IR stint is likely, and that surgery is an option being considered at this point. Players put on injured reserve are required to miss at least four weeks, and an absence of that length would deal a major blow to Pittsburgh’s defensive front.

Heyward exited the Steelers’ lopsided loss to the 49ers midway through the contest and a return was quickly ruled out. That signaled an injury of some significance could be revealed not long afterwards, and that has now proven to be the case. This will mark the first notable missed time for the three-time All-Pro since 2016, a testament to his durability during much of his 13-year Pittsburgh tenure.

A full-time starter since his third season with the team, Heyward has established himself as a stalwart on the Steelers’ defense. The 34-year-old has earned a Pro Bowl nod in each of the last six seasons, and he has posted double-digit sacks in three of those campaigns. His role in maintaining the team’s dominance in the sack department has been crucial while giving the Steelers an interior rush presence to compliment edge producers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

With 163 stops and 29 tackles for loss across the 2021 and ’22 seasons, Heyward also proven to be an integral part of the team’s run defense through the latter stages of his career. His absence will be acutely felt moving forward, as was the case last season when Watt was sidelined by a pectoral tear. His return to the lineup helped spark a late-season playoff push for the Steelers, and Pittsburgh will hope a similar situation can play out in 2023 if Heyward does end up missing considerable time.

Along the defensive interior, the Steelers will move forward with Larry Ogunjobi – who re-signed on a three-year, $28.75MM deal this offseason – as a key starter. Aside from the former Brown and Bengal, though, the team is generally lacking in experience up front. Second-round rookie Keeanu Benton and 2022 third-rounder DeMarvin Leal are among the young players who are in line for an increased workload in Heyward’s absence.

Latest On Bengals’ Joe Burrow Extension

September 11th, 2023 at 5:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

Things didn’t go according to plan for the Bengals in Week 1, but the team accomplished its most important offseason goal not long before the campaign started by inking Joe Burrow to a record-breaking extension. Further details have emerged regarding the investment made in the team’s franchise quarterback.

[RELATED: Owners Proposed Player Salary Limit During CBA Talks]

Burrow’s five-year, $275MM extension gives him the title of the NFL’s highest-paid player in terms of annual compensation (one which has changed hands four times in 2023). The pact is notable not only with respect to its $55MM AAV and the $219.01MM in total guarantees, but also the up front commitment made by the Bengals in a move which bucks the organization’s norms regarding major contracts.

Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Burrow will see roster and training camp bonuses totaling just over $44.5MM in 2023, along with a league minimum base salary. In 2024, he will receive a combined total of $65.7MM between salary and an option bonus; that total sits at $35.25MM for 2025. All of the 26-year-old’s compensation over the next three years is fully guaranteed at signing.

That makes Burrow’s pact a much more lucrative one in terms of early cash flow ($146.5MM across 2023-25) compared to Justin Herbert‘s Chargers extension, as noted by Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald. It also marks a break from tradition in terms of standard practice for the Bengals, who have typically avoided including injury guarantees beyond Year 1 of an extension. Making an exception to that rule was always going to be necessary given the market for QBs on their second contracts, but this structure is certainly noteworthy.

Burrow’s pact – which runs through 2029 – also includes rolling guarantees which cover much of his compensation in 2026 and ’27. Incentives for victories in the AFC title game and Super Bowl are also present through the final five years of the pact, meaning he will be well-positioned for years to come provided he can remain healthy and play at the level he has demonstrated in previous campaigns (which differs greatly from his performance during his first game after signing the mega-pact).

Questions will be raised about how many core contributors the Bengals can retain with Burrow now on the books at a massive raise. Wideout Tee Higgins is among the players who seems destined to at least test the open market before potentially departing in free agency, but the team has cost certainty with its most important player for the foreseeable future.

Gap Remains Between Chiefs, Chris Jones

September 11th, 2023 at 2:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 11: With the Chiefs’ Week 1 loss in the books, they are no closer to working out an agreement with Jones, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports notes (video link). The All-Pro is in line to continue missing $1.1MM in game checks for every week which he remains absent, which will progressively lessen his financial gain if/when an extension is signed. However, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds that the two-time Super Bowl winner is aiming for a figure close to Donald in its own right, not to simply sit second in the DT pecking order. With no progress being made, the parties appear likely to remain at an impasse.

SEPTEMBER 7: Hours from the Chiefs’ opener, they face the prospect of their second- and third-best players not being on the field. Travis Kelce is dealing with a knee hyperextension and bone bruise, and Chris Jones‘ holdout is well into its second month.

Jones may be at Arrowhead Stadium tonight, but NFL.com’s James Palmer notes the All-Pro defensive tackle would be stationed in a suite — to watch the Chiefs raise a third Super Bowl banner — as his teammates suit up to face the Lions. While an interesting development given Jones’ current circumstances, the Chiefs are believed to be OK with the D-tackle holdout being present for the pregame ceremony.

The seven-year veteran said Wednesday (via The Athletic’s Nate Taylor) he could suit up tonight were a deal agreed to, but both NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo indicate nothing is close (video links). This refrain has persisted for weeks, leading to this undesired outcome. Jones will miss Kansas City’s first game, and while a 10-day gap resides between now and the team’s Week 2 trip to Jacksonville, Nick Bosa‘s five-year, $170MM extension introduced a new complication into these proceedings.

The Chiefs had attempted to treat Aaron Donald‘s $31.7MM-per-year Rams pact as an outlier, aiming to have Jones’ third contract come in closer to the recently formed second tier Quinnen Williams currently tops (at $24MM AAV). Jones was connected to a $30MM-per-year ask earlier this summer but was recently tied to a $28MM-AAV aspiration. The Chiefs, in turn, are believed to have offered a $24.7MM extension. With Bosa now at $34MM per year, that could lead to another snag here.

Donald has held the top D-tackle salary since he signed a six-year Rams extension just before the 2018 season; the Rams authorized a landmark raise (with no new years added) after a retirement threat. While Donald’s 2022 update still leads the pack at D-tackle by a wide margin, Bosa’s new AAV affects the pass rusher market on the whole. With Jones being the only pure defensive tackle in the sack era (1982-present) with two 15-sack seasons, the Chiefs cornerstone may adjust his argument after seeing Bosa’s holdout alter the pass-rushing salary landscape.

Indicating he did not want to be a distraction to his teammates as a hold-in, Jones confirmed (via Taylor) he is seeking a raise ahead of the final season of a four-year, $80MM contract. Jones wants more money upfront in his next deal, Garafolo adds. Williams’ $47.8MM guarantee at signing tops all defensive tackles. T.J. Watt‘s $80MM had led the way for all defenders, but Bosa’s not-yet-known full guarantee number almost definitely surpasses it. Jones, 29, is likely seeking a guarantee well north of Williams’ number.

This holdout happening entirely to avoid distracting his teammates would be quite the expensive gesture on Jones’ part. The former second-round pick has racked up $2MM-plus in nonwaivable fines. The 49ers were able to waive Bosa’s due to his holdout occurring on a rookie contract. Floating out the possibility his return may not happen until the Week 8 deadline for a player to report and earn an accrued season toward free agency, Jones is the last holdout standing. Rumors this impasse would be resolved before training camp once circulated. He will soon follow in Donald’s footsteps by missing Week 1 on a holdout. Would Jones really be prepared to sacrifice more than $10MM in total by showing up around the midseason point?

The Chiefs will go into Week 1 with recently re-signed DTs Derrick Nnadi and Tershawn Wharton in place. The team also made a rare trade with the Raiders, obtaining 2022 sixth-rounder Neil Farrell to go with rookie sixth-rounder Keondre Coburn. For a Chiefs team that moved on from Frank Clark and Carlos Dunlap and has UFA pickup Charles Omenihu starting a six-game suspension, losing Jones will severely restrict its pass rush. Kansas City has first-round defensive ends George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah as its top edge investments.

Commanders Add WR Jamison Crowder To Active Roster

September 11th, 2023 at 1:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 11: After playing in the Commanders’ Week 1 win and operating as their punt returner, Crowder will remain in the fold moving forward. The veteran has been signed to the team’s 53-man roster, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

SEPTEMBER 6: Crowder is indeed coming back to Washington. The former Jay Gruden-era pass catcher will join Rivera’s team on a practice squad deal.

SEPTEMBER 5: Although many teams released vested veterans upon cutting their rosters down to 53 and then brought them back — via an active-roster deal after an IR move took place elsewhere on the roster or via a practice squad invite — soon after. The Giants did not prioritize Jamison Crowder after cutting him, however.

Even as Wan’Dale Robinson finishes up his recovery from an ACL tear and Cole Beasley battles an injury that led to him going on the practice squad injured list, the Giants did not bring back Crowder. Back in free agency, Crowder is beginning to receive interest. The Commanders brought in Crowder for a Tuesday visit, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Crowder, of course, began his career in Washington. Plenty has changed since — from the staff to the quarterback to the team name — but the Ron Rivera–Martin Mayhew regime is interested in the 30-year-old slot receiver. Crowder is coming off an abbreviated season, when a fractured ankle stopped his Bills campaign after four games. But the 5-foot-9 wideout was previously a productive player with Washington and the Jets, compiling 600-plus yards in five seasons since being a 2015 fourth-round pick.

Beginning his career as the inside option in Kirk Cousins-led attacks, Crowder rose in the team’s pass-game pecking order after the free agency exits of Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson in 2017. Crowder led the 2017 Washington edition in receiving, though his career-high yardage total remains the 847 — to go with a career-best seven TD receptions — he totaled in 2016 alongside Jackson and Garcon. The Jets gave Crowder a three-year, $28.5MM contract in 2019.

Sam Darnold‘s steadiest target, Crowder combined to score 12 TDs during the former No. 3 overall pick’s final two Jets seasons. The Jets reduced Crowder’s pay in 2021, upon hiring Robert Saleh and OC Mike LaFleur, and he averaged a career-worst 8.8 yards per reception in Zach Wilson‘s rookie season. Crowder joined the Bills on a one-year, $2MM deal and only received $28K guaranteed from the Giants this offseason.

The Commanders have a key injury issue at receiver entering the season. Terry McLaurin has rested for over a week now with turf toe. The longtime No. 1 target, who arrived a month after Crowder left, is uncertain for Week 1. Washington has used extensive resources in recent years upgrading McLaurin’s supporting cast, using a first-round pick on Jahan Dotson in 2022 — a year after giving Curtis Samuel a three-year, $34.5MM deal. In addition to the three starters, the Commanders have four more receivers rostered. Ex-Eric Bieniemy Chiefs cog Byron Pringle joins 2021 third-rounder Dyami Brown, 2021 seventh-rounder Dax Milne and rookie UDFA Mitchell Tinsley at the position.

McLaurin is not out of the mix for Week 1 just yet, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, who notes the team has hope for its top target to be ready in time.

Browns T Jack Conklin Suffers ACL Tear

September 11th, 2023 at 10:48am CST by Ely Allen

SEPTEMBER 11: Testing confirmed that Conklin did indeed tear his ACL and MCL, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes. As a result, he will undergo season-ending surgery. The news adds further to Conklin’s missed time in Cleveland, and will keep him sidelined until the 2024 campaign, the final one on his pact in which he is due guaranteed money. Jones will likely see full-time starting duties moving forward, but it will be interesting to see if the Browns look for experienced depth on the trade or free agent fronts.

SEPTMBER 10: Taking away slightly from the joy of a season-opening win in Cleveland today, Browns starting right tackle Jack Conklin went down with what appeared to be a serious knee injury. After seeing Conklin get carted off the field, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that there’s a possibility the injury could be season-ending for the veteran Browns lineman.

Conklin was a welcome addition to the offensive line in Cleveland three years ago. The team signed him to a three-year, $42MM contract and he rewarded them with a first-team All-Pro season. Since then, though, the Browns have had trouble keeping him on the field.

In 2021, after missing a pair of games, Conklin was placed on injured reserve with a dislocated elbow that would force him to miss three more games. Ten snaps into Conklin’s first game off the IR, Conklin left the game early again, this time with a torn patella tendon that would keep him out for the remainder of the season, limiting him to only seven games played that year and only four games from start to finish.

While Conklin did miss three games last season, he was much improved throughout the rest of the year, returning to the high level of play the Browns were used to seeing. As a result, Cleveland rewarded him with a four-year, $60MM contract extension that will keep him on the roster through the 2026 season.

With the extension coming late into the season last year, a season-ending injury in Week 1 would be an inauspicious start to his first season under the new deal. Head coach Kevin Stefanski spoke on the situation saying, “It doesn’t look good,” according to Browns staff writer Kelsey Russo. Stefanski continued, “I feel absolutely awful for Jack. The person that he is, the player that he is, and what he means to this team…He’s such a big part of what we are. We’ll hold out hope there.”

Massive rookie fourth-round pick Dawand Jones filled in for Conklin today after the veteran was carted off. The team will likely remain with Jones at the position as long as he can deliver in a starting role. At 6-foot-8, 375 pounds, the rookie could be a force once he gets some in-game experience under his belt. This is, once again, assuming that Conklin’s injury is season-ending. For now, though, things aren’t looking promising.

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