The Cleveland Browns did not do much this offseason in adding to their defense. They made very few free agent or trade acquisitions, and they used just two of their 10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on that side of the ball.
Unfortunately, they also will not be getting a hoped-for return from a key player. Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah sat out all of last season with a neck injury he suffered during the 2024 campaign, and he will spend this year on the sidelines as well.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns have announced a big move with Owusu-Koramoah, placing him on the reserve/PUP list again this season.
“Browns announced they’ve placed LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (neck) on the reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list for the second straight season,” Cabot wrote.
#Browns announced they've placed LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (neck) on the reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list for the second straight season.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) May 8, 2026
The fact that the Browns have made this move so far in advance of the beginning of training camp in July, as they did last year, does not bode well for Owusu-Koramoah’s career. It has been considered to be in doubt ever since the injury occurred, even though the 26-year-old continues to post optimistic messages on social media.
Owusu-Koramoah was injured on Oct. 27, 2024, in a Week 8 game against the Baltimore Ravens while making a tackle of running back Derrick Henry. He was carted off the field and hospitalized for the neck injury, though he did regain movement in his extremities. He did not play again that season, and he was placed on the reserve/PUP list by Cleveland last May, ruling him out for 2025.
A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Owusu-Koramoah was a rising star in the league after making a career-high 101 combined tackles and earning Pro Bowl recognition in the 2023 season. He signed a lucrative three-year contract extension in August 2024.
Now, the Browns’ defense will face another season without him. Last year, linebacker Carson Schwesinger emerged as Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Devin Bush had arguably the best season of his career manning the position. However, Bush left this season as a free agent, and the Browns signed Quincy Williams to replace him.
Without Owusu-Koramoah unavailable again, the defense will try to maintain its lofty status under first-time coordinator Mike Rutenberg on Todd Monken’s staff.
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