Browns DE Myles Garrett To Consider Offseason Foot Surgery
8:10pm: When speaking after the Browns’ Week 3 loss, Garrett said his foot issue is having a detrimental effect on his legs (h/t The Athletic’s Zac Jackson). Without time to heal, that problem could continue over at least the short term.
3:11pm: A foot issue led to some missed time for Myles Garrett in Week 2, but he did not carry a designation heading into today’s matchup. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is not expected to miss game action as a result of the ailment, but surgery could be an option down the road. 
Specifically, Garrett is dealing with pain in both of his feet. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes the three-time All-Pro underwent a procedure as a nine-year-old to address flat feet, which may be related to the current problem (video link). In any case, pain management will be required on Garrett’s part for an extended period. After the current campaign, a procedure will be considered.
“We talk about [surgery after the season] but that’s something that we’ll talk about further down the line,” the 28-year-old said (via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi). “The issue itself is something that I’ll probably have to deal with for however long I end up playing. So it’s about managing that and playing through it.”
The former No. 1 pick has played double-digit games every year of his career, and he will be able to do so again in 2024 if he can tolerate the pain level he is currently dealing with. Garrett added he is hopeful the issue will get better over time as the season progresses. If that does not turn out to be the case, though, it would not come as a surprise if surgery were to become a distinct possibility.
Garrett earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2018 and then each year from 2020-23. His 90.5 sacks since being drafted rank second in the NFL, underlying his importance to the Browns. Cleveland also has Za’Darius Smith and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo along the edge, but they of course play complementary roles to Garrett, the focal point of one of the league’s top defenses from 2023. Remaining strong on that side of the ball will be key to the Browns’ efforts to return to the postseason.
Garrett recorded a strip sack in each of his first two games, and he will again be counted on as one of the league’s top defensive players if he can stay on the field for the rest of the season. Whether or not he can do so with reasonable pain levels will be worth watching closely over the next few weeks in particular.
Browns LT Jedrick Wills To Debut In Week 3
Jedrick Wills did not suffer an ACL tear, but a knee injury has kept the four-year Browns left tackle out of action since Week 9 of last season. The string of missed games will stop today for the contract-year blocker.
The Browns have listed Wills as active, and TheLandOnDemand.com’s Tony Grossi indicates the former first-round pick will be the team’s left tackle starter opposite from Dawand Jones. While Wills is back, Jack Conklin — after making his return from an ACL tear last week — is out.
Although an MCL sprain was primary issue impacting Wills’ lengthy absence, he missed all this time due to also sustaining PCL damage and bone bruises in his injured right knee. Wills missed all of Cleveland’s offseason program and training camp but avoided the reserve/PUP list. That will allow a Week 3 debut, whereas a PUP placement would have required a four-game absence. Conklin missed all of Browns camp as well, but he had suffered an ACL tear for the second time as a pro. Conklin is also secure with a third lucrative contract, while Wills is playing for his second.
Seeing his fifth-year option ($19.7MM) picked up in May 2023, Wills must answer questions in a pivotal year. He can begin that effort in earnest against the Giants today, and the Browns now have four of their five O-line starters healthy. The Browns have guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller signed beyond 2024, and center Ethan Pocic‘s three-year deal runs through 2025.
Conklin’s most recent extension covers him through 2026, but no guarantees are still in place post-2024 on that contract. Conklin, 30, will need to show he can stay healthy this season. That effort is not going especially well so far, with the ninth-year tackle logging two full practices before being limited Friday and out today. Conklin should be expected to return next week, per Grossi, but this is obviously a situation to monitor given the former first-rounder’s injury past.
Wills, 25, has started every game he has played (53) since the Browns made him the 10th overall pick in 2020. This included a 15-game 2020 season and a 17-game 2022 effort. Pro Football Focus graded Wills as a mid-pack tackle from 2020-22, before assigning him a worse grade last season.
Next year could present a host of interesting options for tackle-needy teams. As of now, Wills joins Ronnie Stanley, Garett Bolles and Cam Robinson as veteran LTs unsigned. The Rams’ Alaric Jackson is also out of contract after this season. Extensions may well thin this crop, but Wills is younger than this lot and could have nearly 70 starts on his NFL resume after this season.
Of course, the Alabama alum will need to show he has recovered from his troublesome knee malady to set himself up for a big payday — either from the Browns or a tackle-seeking team in free agency — come 2025.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/21/24
Saturday’s practice squad moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Nathaniel Watson
Seattle Seahawks:
- Signed: S Marquise Blair
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/24
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: T Jackson Barton, T Charlie Heck
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: RB Chris Collier, CB Ka’dar Hollman
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: DE DeShawn Williams
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: DE Byron Cowart, WR Collin Johnson
- Placed on IR: RB Travis Homer
Cleveland Browns
- Signed to active roster: RB Gary Brightwell, TE Blake Whiteheart
- Elevated: CB Tony Brown, TE Geoff Swaim
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: DE Carl Lawson, LB Nick Vigil
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: WR Tim Patrick, WR Allen Robinson
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: QB Sean Clifford, CB Robert Rochell
Houston Texans
- Elevated: RB J.J. Taylor, LB Zeke Turner
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: CB Sam Webb
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: LB Shaquille Quarterman
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: TE Nikola Kalinic, WR Xavier Smith
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: QB Tim Boyle
- Elevated: WR Dee Eskridge, WR Erik Ezukanma
- Placed on IR: WR Grant DuBose
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: OLB Bo Richter, TE Robert Tonyan
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: LB Isaiah Stalbird
New York Giants
- Elevated: CB Art Green, LB Ty Summers
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: WR Parris Campbell, TE Jack Stoll
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: DL Mike Greene, WR Sterling Shepard
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: LB Luke Gifford, RB Jabari Small
Players like Hollman, Vigil, Webb, and Quarterman will now be getting called up for the third time this season. The NFL rules limit a practice squad player to three standard gameday elevations per contract. If their teams want to get them into more games in the future, the normal route is for them to be signed to the active roster after this weekend then released/waived and signed to new practice squad deals, starting their three-game count over.
Shy Tuttle‘s foot injury will keep him off the field for Week 3, as the Panthers announced that the defensive tackle has been downgraded from doubtful to out. The Panthers called up Williams to temporarily take the open roster spot. The defensive end started 10 of his 16 appearances for the Panthers last season, and he landed back on Carolina’s practice squad last month after spending the preseason with the Bills.
The Browns announced a handful of moves ahead of their game with the Giants tomorrow. Notably, the team didn’t promote any offensive tackles, which provided some optimism surrounding the availability of their injured tackles. While Jedrick Wills Jr. is expected to play (per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal), Jack Conklin will not (per Tony Grossi of 850 ESPN Cleveland). Conklin hasn’t played since Week 1 of the 2023 season while recovering from a torn ACL and MCL. He practiced this week and was initially listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game, but it sounds like a new hamstring injury is the culprit for his Week 3 absence.
With both Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce set to miss Sunday’s trip to Minnesota, the Texans are bringing up Taylor off the practice squad. Taylor will back up Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale against the Vikings this weekend.
Deshaun Watson Accuser To Meet With NFL; Browns Preparing For Suspension?
Deshaun Watson‘s on-field performance has not matched expectations in 2024, but the more pressing storyline surrounding the Browns passer is the latest lawsuit filed against him for sexual assault. Watson’s most recent accuser is set to speak with the NFL, and a league investigation into the matter could result in another suspension.
Attorney Tony Buzbee – who is representing the woman accusing Watson of sexual assault in October 2020 and was a key figure for the plaintiffs in Watson’s original batch of lawsuits – said in a recent statement his client will cooperate with the league’s investigation noting the presence of “pertinent” video evidence. Non-league employees cannot be compelled to do so, making that development a notable one as it pertains potential discipline. Watson has (through attorney Rusty Hardin) denied the allegations and he will not be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list. 
While the 29-year-old is therefore free to remain in place with the Browns for the time being, the potential of a second suspension has led to renewed questions about his contract. Cleveland guaranteed all of Watson’s five-year, $230MM deal in 2022 with the expectation he would face a ban at some point. Watson was indeed sidelined for the first 11 games of the season stemming from sexual assault lawsuits (all but one of which have since been settled).
Written correspondence between the former Texan Pro Bowler’s camp and the Browns referred to the possibility of a suspension and how it would not affect the guarantees in the deal. However, as ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes, protection against a suspension only covered the 2022 and ’23 seasons. This new allegation is separate from the ones which have already been dealt with, and as a result a new suspension could allow the team to void the remaining guaranteed money ($92MM between 2025 and ’26) contained in the pact.
The Browns have restructured Watson’s contract in each of the past two years in cap-related moves, converting base salaries into signing bonuses. The most recent of those moves may have removed suspension protection entirely, Graziano adds.
Players’ salaries are affected by suspensions, so a ban being handed down in 2024 would produce minimal consequences in that regard. Given Watson’s showings when healthy during his Browns tenure, though, the possibility of getting out of the remainder of his pact would likely be enticing. A decision on that front will not be possible unless and until any league suspension is handed down, the timeline of which remains uncertain. Cleveland could be preparing for a new ban, however.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports the presence of “chatter in league circles” that a personal conduct suspension could be coming, although nothing firm is in place with respect to when it could happen. Florio adds that some around the league believe the Browns are evaluating outside quarterback options, something which would become necessary in the event Watson were to miss time this year. Cleveland allowed backup Joe Flacco – who stepped in as the team’s starter after Watson’s season-ending shoulder injury – to depart in free agency. At the moment, veteran pickup Jameis Winston and 2023 fifth-rounder Dorian Thompson-Robinson round out the QB depth chart.
Plenty is still to be determined in this situation, and more clarity will likely emerge once the anonymous accuser speaks with league officials. A suspension – either covering the end of the current season or a portion of future years – would be signficant for Watson and the Browns in its own respect, but if possible the team’s ability to void his remaining locked in money would of course create a major storyline.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/19/24
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed to active roster: OLB Tarron Jackson
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: LB Nathaniel Watson
New England Patriots
- Elevated: LB Joe Giles-Harris
- Placed on reserve/left squad: OT Chukwuma Okorafor
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: EDGE Jermaine Johnson (story)
- Signed from practice squad: Jalyn Holmes
The Patriots sustained a blow to their offensive line depth when Okorafor left the team after being benched after just 12 snaps in Week 1. New England received a five-day roster exemption for Okorafor’s initial absence but was forced to move the offensive tackle to the reserve/left team list when the exemption expired. He is now ineligible to return this season.
Watson was drafted by the Browns in the sixth round of the 2024 draft and made Cleveland’s initial 53-man roster. He appeared in the team’s first two regular-season games, playing 33 snaps on special teams.
Browns DT Mike Hall Pleads No Contest To Disorderly Conduct
Mike Hall‘s legal situation reached a conclusion on Thursday, paving the way for NFL discipline under the personal conduct policy. The Browns rookie entered a plea of no contest to disorderly conduct in the Avon Lake Municipal Court, per court records. 
That fourth-degree misdemeanor represents a lower charge than the ones Hall was originally facing. The 21-year-old was arrested in August on domestic violence charges. An incident involving Hall and his fiancée led to the arrest, although the victim has since filed a motion for a protective order against Hall to be removed. That motion was granted.
Hall’s legal resolution includes a suspended 30-day sentence, a $250 fine and a placement on two-year monitor time, as detailed by Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. His original court date was scheduled for September 10, but it was moved back to Thursday. That day was meant to be the start of a pre-trial hearing, but today’s news brings a close to the case.
As is common in instances of domestic violence, Hall was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list. That move prevented him from taking part in the Browns’ regular season opener and had him set to remain away from the team until his legal process played out. Now that it has, the NFL can proceed with an investigation in advance of a fine and/or suspension being issued for a personal conduct violation. A league statement confirms Hall remains on the exempt list for the time being (h/t Easterling).
During his final two years at Ohio State, Hall collected six sacks and 10 tackles for loss. That production made him one of the top defensive linemen in the 2024 draft class, and upon being selected with the No. 54 pick he was the Browns’ top choice in April. Expectations are high based on his potential, but it remains to be seen when he will be cleared to make his NFL debut.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/17/24
Tuesday’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: S Jason Taylor II
- Released: G Marquis Hayes
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Josh Woods
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S Russ Yeast
Cincinnati Bengals
- Released: WR Shedrick Jackson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Jaelon Darden, RB Royce Freeman
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OLB Andrew Farmer
Houston Texans
- Signed: C Scott Quessenberry, TE Irv Smith, DT Tommy Togiai
- Released: T Braeden Daniels, LB Max Tooley
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Peyton Hendershot
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: K Tanner Brown
- Released: T Ty Nsekhe
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: T Jackson Carman
- Released: WR Robbie Chosen
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Marcellus Johnson
- Released: T Ricky Lee
New England Patriots
- Released: WR Jalen Reagor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Caden Sterns
- Released: TE Kevin Foelsch
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB D’Shawn Jamison, WR Jaray Jenkins, CB James Pierre
- Released: WR Shaquan Davis, CB Zyon Gilbert
Washington Commanders
- Signed: CB Kevon Seymour
Woods joins the Falcons’ practice squad after a workout last week that also included veterans Kwon Alexander and Rashaan Evans.
The Browns are adding Freeman after the seven-year veteran was released by the Cowboys before the regular season. Freeman could potentially pitch in as the team keeps working without Nick Chubb.
Yeast becomes the next former-Rams defensive back to join the Panthers. Current Carolina defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero used to serve as the secondary coach in Los Angeles, and Yeast joins Jordan Fuller, Nick Scott, and Troy Hill as former students of Evero to sign a deal with the Panthers.
Chosen’s time off the Dolphins’ practice squad could be a short one. Chosen was called up as a standard gameday elevation twice in the first two weeks of the season, reaching his limit for the year. If the team re-signs him to a new practice squad contract, his count should start over.
Reagor saw 11 games and a start last year for New England, catching seven passes for 138 yards as a deep threat. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the Patriots will be giving him similar opportunities this year after this release.
Pierre played a big part in the Steelers’ secondary in 2021 and 2022, starting six games and logging an interception in each season. His role was extremely reduced last year with the arrivals of Joey Porter Jr.. and Patrick Peterson, but his experience could be crucial in a position room that only rosters five cornerbacks as Cameron Sutton remains on suspension.
Browns WR David Bell To Undergo Season-Ending Hip Surgery
SEPTEMBER 17: As a result of the season-ending surgery for his dislocated hip, Bell has officially been placed on injured reserve, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. His third NFL season has officially come to an end.
SEPTEMBER 16: David Bell suffered a dislocated hip in Week 2, and the third-year Browns wideout will miss the remainder of the campaign as a result. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Bell is set to undergo season-ending surgery. 
The 23-year-old was carted off the field during the third quarter of Cleveland’s win on Sunday. A notable absence was thus in the cards, but today’s news means Bell’s attention will turn to rehab ahead of the 2025 campaign. Already on the roster bubble for that year, as demonstrated by his time on and off the practice squad in 2024, this is a notable setback for him.
Selected in the third round of the 2022 draft, Bell logged a 47% snap share as a rookie. That playing time resulted in 35 targets, although he managed just 214 scoreless yards on 24 receptions that season. The Purdue product saw his usage take a significant step back last year, and handled only a rotational role. During his brief healthy period in the current campaign, he was only on the field for nine offensive snaps.
Nevertheless, the fact Bell is under contract through 2025 is a sign the Browns hope to keep him in the fold for at least the short-term future. For the time being, Cleveland will continue to rely on Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman atop the WR depth chart. The Browns could look to make an addition aimed at filling Bell’s complementary role or remain inside the organization for such a move.
In other injury news, Stefanski said running back Pierre Strong is considered week to week due to a hamstring ailment. The team’s backfield will be shorthanded if he misses time, but Cleveland’s offense could see the return of any or all of left tackle Jedrick Wills, right tackle Jack Conklin and tight end David Njoku as early as Week 3. Their respective presences would be welcomed, but Bell will be out of the picture for the rest of the campaign.
AFC North Notes: Fields, Steelers, Wilson, Taylor-Britt, Bengals, Browns, Ravens
Another Justin Fields start is likely on tap for the Steelers, who are 2-0 with the fourth-year passer at the controls. Russell Wilson is not scheduled to log a full practice Wednesday, and Mike Tomlin said (via ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor) the team is “readying a plan that features Justin.”
The Steelers have not exactly been prolific on offense with Fields, scoring all of 31 points in two games. But the trade acquisition — who entered the offseason as the clear backup — has gained enough ground on Wilson it is believed to have put the starting job in question. The 25-year-old passer has completed 69.8% of his passes, albeit at just 6.3 yards per attempt, but has managed two pilot Pittsburgh to two wins despite questions about the team’s pass-catching group after the much-discussed Brandon Aiyuk trade fell through.
Fields helping the Steelers to a win over the Broncos boosted his case, and Wilson may be running out of time due to a calf issue sidelining him — save for some preseason time — since the start of training camp. A report before that Denver matchup suggested Wilson would not lose the job he won due to injury, but it may well be up in the air now.
Here is the latest from the AFC North:
- Stepping into the No. 1 cornerback role to start his third season, Cam Taylor-Britt pulled down a spectacular one-handed interception of Patrick Mahomes in the Bengals‘ Week 2 loss. With the Bengals expecting a big year from Taylor-Britt, The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. notes this would put the former second-round pick on the extension radar come 2025 (subscription required). Taylor-Britt will be eligible for a second contract next year, and while the Bengals are poised for a second round of Ja’Marr Chase negotiations in 2025, a quality Taylor-Britt showing this year would leave them an easier extension to complete.
- Attempting to move from a decorated wrestling career to the Bills, Gable Steveson did not turn that bid into a spot on Buffalo’s active roster or practice squad. The former Olympic gold medalist is not shutting down football aspirations, with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo noting he worked out for the Ravens this week. The 24-year-old wrestling convert competed as a defensive lineman in Buffalo, with Bills preseason games doubling as Steveson’s first football games at any level.
- The Browns and Bears completed a trade for defensive tackle Chris Williams just before the season. The pick-swap deal involved the Bears sending the Browns a 2025 sixth-round pick (originally from the Vikings) for Williams and a conditional 2025 seventh-rounder, Cards Wire’s Howard Balzer notes. The sixth that went to Cleveland was originally a Miami selection.