As good as the Cleveland Browns’ defense was last season, it arguably could have been even better had Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah been able to join it. Unfortunately, the linebacker had not recovered from a serious neck injury he suffered the year before.
So, fans and those connected to the organization couldn’t be blamed for holding out hope that Owusu-Koramoah might return in 2026. Yet that doesn’t look like it’s going to be the case, either.
Over the past few days, there has been an interesting back-and-forth regarding Owusu-Koramoah’s future. Insider Mary Kay Cabot reported that he was unlikely to ever play again, and Owusu-Koramoah posted a curious response on social media which some interpreted as him being able to return.
Now, in what falls short of an official decision, Browns general manager Andrew Berry provided an update on Owusu-Koramoah, saying he isn’t “overly optimistic” that he will be on the field this coming season.
“Andrew Berry said he’s not ‘overly optimistic’ on LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah playing in 2026,” Daniel Oyefusi wrote on X.
Andrew Berry said he’s not “overly optimistic” on LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah playing in 2026.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) February 24, 2026
Whether Berry is some other level of optimistic is arguably open to interpretation, but the signs point to Owusu-Koramoah sitting out another year until proven otherwise. At the beginning of the 2025 season, he sent a cryptic message about a “star that vanished from the sky,” but there have been few updates on his condition or his recovery since then.
Owusu-Koramoah was injured in Week 8 of the 2024 season while tackling Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry. He was taken off the field on a backboard.
A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Owusu-Koramoah earned Pro Bowl honors in 2023, when he posted career highs with 102 combined tackles and two interceptions. He was building on that to start the 2024 campaign, with 61 tackles in eight games prior to his injury.
If there is a silver lining to any of this, it could be that the Browns may have been influenced to select Carson Schwesinger in the 2025 NFL Draft as a potential replacement. He more than lived up to that by winning Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Unfortunately, the dream of seeing him and Owusu-Koramoah on the field together may never come true.
NEXT: Browns’ Future With Key Defender Suddenly In Doubt
