In the NFL, athletes who do not practice are often not a major concern as the team will rest veterans to keep their wear and tear to a minimum during the season.
But Jedrick Wills may be the exception to this rule.
The Browns offensive tackle has been a limited participant in practice this season, only clearing the physical at the start of the regular season to avoid joining others on the Injured Reserve (IR) list.
On Wednesday, head coach Kevin Stefanski said during his team’s press conference that both offensive tackles Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills would return to practice ahead of the team’s Week 2 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Analyst Chris Easterling shared on X – the platform formerly known as Twitter – that Wills did not practice during the team’s session that is open to the media.
OT Jedrick Wills Jr. did not practice Wednesday for the #Browns, despite Kevin Stefanski saying prior to practice he would. TE David Njoku, who's been ruled out for Sunday, and CB Myles Harden also didn't practice.
— Chris Easterling (@ceasterlingABJ) September 11, 2024
Wills – who the Browns chose with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft – has been a starter on the line since arriving in Ohio.
The 6-foot-4 offensive lineman has started all 53 games he’s played in a Browns uniform, and his absence has opened up opportunities for Germain Ifedi and James Hudson III to play in his stead.
Much of the discussion heading into the season was that Conklin could be filling the void temporarily, giving the Browns some experience among a unit that was supposed to be one of the team’s strengths this season.
In the season opener, however, Cleveland allowed six sacks to the Dallas Cowboys and struggled to keep quarterback Deshaun Watson protected as he was hit 21 times during the contest.
NEXT: Browns Place 4 Players On IR List
