The Cleveland Browns have had a myriad of health-related issues over the past two years, and the NFL franchise is often among the league leaders for the number of players who are shelved with multiple-week injuries.
Veteran defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson – who the Browns acquired before the start of the 2024 NFL regular season – is not one of those.
Instead, Jefferson has participated in only five of the team’s eight games this season, and the 31-year-old has been listed as a healthy scratch for the team’s past three contests.
Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has a reason for sitting the lineman.
Analyst Scott Petrak shared Schwartz’s thoughts on X, revealing his reason behind Jefferson’s healthy scratches.
“It’s really just a numbers game,” Schwartz said.
#Browns DC Jim Schwartz on DT Quinton Jefferson being a healthy scratch recently: It's really just a numbers game.
Mo Hurst got healthy and Mike Hall Jr. came off suspended list and has given pass rush a spark.
— Scott Petrak ct (@ScottPetrak) October 31, 2024
Petrak added context to that quote by telling his followers about other players’ recent availability, something that was an issue earlier this season.
“Mo Hurst got healthy and Mike Hall Jr. came off suspended list and has given pass rush a spark,” Petrak added.
Cleveland signed Jefferson to a one-year, $4 million contract in March.
In his five contests, he’s recorded six tackles and one sack for the Browns and participated in 141 defensive snaps during those games.
Jefferson’s NFL journey started in Seattle, and he’s returned there once during his nine-year career.
He’s also played for the Buffalo Bills, the Las Vegas Raiders, and the New York Jets over the past decade.
For his career, Jefferson has started 62 of the 108 games he’s played, recording 27.5 sacks and 198 tackles.
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