The Browns fear LT Jedrick Wills will be out for the season with a knee injury.
Cleveland Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills went down with a knee injury on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals and will be placed on injured reserve.
It’s the best-case situation for the Browns, who feared that Wills would be lost for the season. He’ll miss at least four games but will be eligible for a return after that.
Wills went down in the third quarter against the Cardinals. He was looked at by medical staff for a while as teammates huddled around him. Soon after, Wills was carted off the field with an air cast on his right leg.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said on Monday, November 6 that Wills suffered an MCL sprain.
The Browns won the game against the Cardinals in dominant fashion, 27-0. However, there was a bit of a somber tone in the locker room due to Wills’ injury.
“He got rolled up on him, and it was just sad,” right tackle Dawand Jones said, per the Akron Beacon Journal. “That’s one of my buddies on the team. That’s definitely, I would say, the person I’m closest with or I would say my best friend on the team.
So it was just sad to see him go down. My prayers is with him, him and his family. I’m just trying to make sure he, in good spirits, making sure everything all right.”
Browns Pleased With Jedrick Wills’ Progression
Wills was a first-round pick of the Browns in 2020 and had a fifth-year option picked up this offseason.
Wills is playing the premier position on the line and is responsible for protecting Deshaun Watson’s blindside. He has been criticized at times but the Browns have praised his progression.
“I just think you focus on the work and you focus on that practice just now and getting better with your technique,” Stefanski said on October 12.
“When you’re playing tackle in this league, you’re going to have some moments where the other side gets you. There are some good rushers, as we all know, but he’s going to continue to battle and I think continue to get better.”
Wills has earned an unimpressive overall grade of 52.7 on Pro Football Focus. He has been called for five penalties this season and allowed three sacks.
Browns Have Had Rough Injury Luck
The Browns have not been fortunate this season with injuries. Cleveland has already lost two key pieces of their offense to season-ending knee injuries.
Right tackle Jack Conklin went down during the Browns’ opener and Nick Chubb was lost for the year after taking a low hit against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2.
“Yeah, it’s tough,” Browns guard Joel Bitonio said. “I’m not sure what the extent is. I mean, he was a little bit in pain, obviously on the field, had to get carted off.
Hopefully it’s not too serious, but it’s not good. I mean, we’ve had him and Jack and Nick — we’ve had some serious ones this year — and hopefully he can bounce back, but it’s hard.”
James Hudson III is expected to be the starter at left tackle. However, Jones — who is 6-foot-8 and 375 pounds — did play some left tackle in college and the Browns could move him over from right tackle.
J.R. DeGroote covers the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com.
He covered local and statewide sports as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and has decades of experience in digital media with previous stops at SB Nation and Bleacher Report.
He has won multiple state, regional and national honors for sports reporting and photography. More about J.R. DeGroote
