Injury List Grows Challenging Depth of the Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns’ 2024 season has been derailed not just by on-field mistakes, but by a growing injury list that’s testing the team’s depth to its breaking point. As Week 15 approaches, the Browns have 11 players on their injury report—including six starters—with key contributors sidelined across both offense and defense. What began as isolated setbacks (a calf strain here, a hamstring tweak there) has snowballed into a crisis: the defensive line has lost Maliek Collins for the season, the secondary is missing Greg Newsome II, and the offense is without backup running back Kareem Hunt. For a team already clinging to a wild-card spot, this wave of injuries isn’t just a hurdle—it’s a threat to their playoff aspirations. Injury List Grows Challenging Depth of the Cleveland Browns breaks down how the expanding injury list is exposing roster weaknesses, forcing unproven players into critical roles, and why the team’s depth (or lack thereof) could define the rest of their season.

Injury List Grows Challenging Depth of the Cleveland Browns starts with the defensive line—the unit hit hardest by injuries. The loss of Collins (season-ending quad tear) was a major blow, but it’s been compounded by setbacks to Jordan Elliott (calf strain) and Shelby Harris (knee soreness). This has left the Browns relying on Tommy Togiai, a 2021 fourth-round pick who has spent most of his career on the practice squad, and undrafted free agent Jeff Gunter to anchor the interior. Togiai, who had played just 87 defensive snaps before this season, was thrust into a starting role against the Houston Texans in Week 14—and struggled, allowing two rushing touchdowns and being called for a critical holding penalty. “We’re asking guys to play roles they haven’t prepared for full-time,” said defensive line coach Chris Kiffin. “Tommy’s a hard worker, but he’s not Maliek—no one on our roster is. When you lose a player who clogs run lanes and draws double teams, it ripples through the entire defense.” The defensive line’s struggles have made it harder to stop the run (the Browns rank 25th in rushing yards allowed) and generate pass pressure, putting more strain on an already inconsistent secondary.

Injury List Grows Challenging Depth of the Cleveland Browns shifts to the secondary, where injuries have turned a position of strength into a liability. Cornerback Greg Newsome II (hamstring strain) missed Week 14, forcing the Browns to start rookie Ronnie Hickman opposite Denzel Ward. Hickman, who had primarily played special teams before this season, was targeted 11 times by Texans QB C.J. Stroud—allowing 8 catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. Safety Grant Delpit (shoulder sprain) has also been limited, playing just 60% of snaps against Houston and missing two key tackles. “Our secondary was already inconsistent, and injuries have made it worse,” said defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. “We’re asking rookies and backups to cover some of the best wide receivers in the league, and it’s showing. When you don’t have your top guys, you have to simplify your scheme—but that makes it easier for offenses to exploit you.” The secondary’s struggles were on full display in Week 13, when Ward’s late-game blown coverage (a result of being forced to play more snaps than usual) cost the Browns a win over the Bengals.

Injury List Grows Challenging Depth of the Cleveland Browns delves into the offense, where injuries have disrupted the team’s rhythm and limited play-calling options. Backup running back Kareem Hunt (rib injury) has missed two games, leaving the Browns with just Nick Chubb and undrafted rookie Pierre Strong Jr. in the backfield. Strong, who was signed off the practice squad in October, has rushed for just 45 yards on 18 carries and fumbled once—forcing the Browns to rely more heavily on Chubb, who is already dealing with a minor ankle issue. On the offensive line, left guard Joel Bitonio (elbow soreness) has been limited in practice, and backup guard Michael Dunn (knee injury) is out, leaving the Browns with third-stringer Luke Wypler to fill in if needed. “We’re scraping by on offense,” said offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. “Losing Kareem means we can’t rotate running backs as much, which wears down Nick. If Joel has to sit, we’re putting a guy with 12 career snaps into a starting role against some of the best defensive linemen in the league.” For the Cleveland Browns, the offensive injuries have made it harder to control the clock (their time of possession has dropped by 2.5 minutes per game since Hunt’s injury) and take pressure off a struggling defense.

Injury List Grows Challenging Depth of the Cleveland Browns explores the team’s limited options for replacing injured players. With the trade deadline long passed, the Browns have had to rely on their practice squad and free-agent signings to fill gaps—but the pickings are slim. They signed former Bengals defensive tackle Sheldon Day to replace Collins, but Day hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2023 and struggled in his debut against Houston. On offense, they added running back Duke Johnson (a former Brown) to replace Hunt, but Johnson is 31 and hasn’t rushed for more than 300 yards in a season since 2018. “We don’t have a lot of flexibility right now,” said general manager Andrew Berry. “We built our roster to handle a few injuries, but not this many—especially to key starters. It’s a lesson for next offseason: we need to invest more in depth, even if it means sacrificing some talent at the top.” For the Cleveland Browns, the lack of quality backups is a direct result of offseason choices—they prioritized signing high-profile free agents (like wide receiver Jerry Jeudy) over adding reliable depth, a decision that’s now coming back to haunt them.

Injury List Grows Challenging Depth of the Cleveland Browns wraps up with the stakes: if the injury list continues to grow, the Browns’ playoff hopes will likely vanish. Their remaining schedule includes tough matchups against the Pittsburgh Steelers (who have one of the best run defenses in the NFL) and the Denver Broncos (who rank 10th in sacks). If Chubb gets injured, the Browns’ running game (their biggest offensive strength) could collapse. If Ward or Delpit goes down, the secondary will be unable to stop top wide receivers like the Steelers’ George Pickens. Even if the Browns stay healthy, the players they’ve already lost have weakened the team enough to make a deep playoff run unlikely. “This is the reality of the NFL—injuries happen, and you have to be prepared,” said head coach Kevin Stefanski. “We’re not making excuses, but we’re also not naive: this many injuries would test any team’s depth. We need our healthy players to step up, and our injured guys to heal quickly—because time is running out.” For the Cleveland Browns, the growing injury list is a reminder that in the NFL, depth is just as important as talent. And right now, they’re coming up short.