Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah missed all of last season while recovering from a severe neck injury. The same will be true again in 2026 for the veteran linebacker.
The Browns announced on Friday that Owusu-Koramoah has been moved to the reserve/physically unable to perform list. Players who find themselves on the active/PUP list during the onset of training camp can be activated at any time. Those who begin the regular season on the list, meanwhile, can be brought back onto an active roster as early as Week 5.
By contrast, the reserve/PUP designation ensures a player will be sidelined for the entire year. Given the fact Owusu-Koramoah found himself in the same position in 2025, today’s news will intensify questions about his NFL career being over. As a February, it seemed as though the 26-year-old’s playing days had come to an end. Friday’s move further reinforces that.
In 2024, Owusu-Koramoah suffered the injury which brought his career to a halt. He had previously established himself as an impactful presence on defense, handling full-time starting duties and earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2023. The Notre Dame product inked a three-year extension worth an average of $12.5MM per year after his third Cleveland season, but his time on the field after landing that deal proved to be very short-lived. With Owusu-Koramoah’s status uncertain last spring, the Browns invested a second-round pick in fellow linebacker Carson Schwesinger.
That decision proved to be impactful, as Schwesinger earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2025. He will be expected to remain a key figure for Cleveland this season and well into the future. That is especially true since it appears a return to action on the part of Owusu-Koramoah will not be possible at any time.
As things stand, Owusu-Koramoah remains under team control through the 2027 season. He has amassed roughly $17.5MM in career earnings while totaling 50 combined regular and postseason appearances. In the wake of today’s development, though, it seems increasingly unlikely either of those figures will increase moving forward.
If they could solve their quarterback problem again (Baker) they’d definitely be a playoff team.
Sad for a guy who had such a promising start to a career.
I hope he heals to at least the point he can lead a normal life.
Good luck Jeremiah!
Hate to see a career cut short by injury. Glad they are actually taking it seriously.