The Cleveland Browns have a tough Week 1 opponent as they head south to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who won 13 games last season and have a bad taste in their mouths after being one-and-done in the postseason. Few expect the Browns to be good this year, particularly due to Deshaun Watson being the starting quarterback once again, but this game represents a big opportunity to get off to a surprising start and change the trajectory of this season right away.
The Browns may be heavy underdogs heading into this matchup, but head coach Todd Monken certainly doesn’t care. He has waited decades for his first game as a head coach, and now that it’s finally here, there is no question that his squad will be ready to roll.
Unfortunately, one player’s status for Sunday is still up in the air. Cleveland.com’s Ashley Bastock shared that starting right guard Teven Jenkins was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, though there is no word yet on whether or not this threatens his availability in Jacksonville.
“#Browns-#Jaguars Wednesday injury report. Teven Jenkins listed as a limited participant with a back. We watched him walk out of practice. Austin Barber watch will continue for the next few days,” Bastock wrote.
#Browns–#Jaguars Wednesday injury report. Teven Jenkins listed as a limited participant with a back. We watched him walk out of practice.
Austin Barber watch will continue for the next few days: pic.twitter.com/xDvAMbYGmC
— Ashley Bastock (@AshleyBastock42) September 9, 2026
Rookie Austin Barber has generated some significant buzz since he started taking reps at guard earlier in training camp. It was clear that something clicked and the results were much-improved from what the coaches were seeing during his reps at tackle, so much so that there was some discussion about him supplanting Jenkins as the starting right guard.
It’s too early for that conversation, but it’s comforting that the Browns at least have options in case Jenkins isn’t able to go. There is no word yet on how beaten up he was when he left practice, so stay tuned for Thursday’s practice report to see if Jenkins is back out there.
There is a lot of pressure on this offensive line to mesh quickly. There are five new starters up front, and the last thing this team needs after the past few years is more injuries up front. Hopefully, Jenkins is okay and ready to go for Sunday.
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