Jeremiah

Owusu-Koramoah

Browns GM Andrew Berry said in February that he wasn’t “overly optimistic” about the possibility of Owusu-Koramoah playing in 2026 after the linebacker suffered a neck injury in 2024 that also sidelined him for all of 2025. It seems increasingly likely that Owusu-Koramoah’s career may be over, which was speculated earlier this offseason as well. He totaled 61 tackles and three sacks in eight games when he last played in 2024.

A recent report from Mary Kay Cabot said Owusu-Koramoah is “doubtful to ever return to the field,” so missing just the 2026 season would be a mild upgrade. It’s clear that Owusu-Koramoah is not returning any time soon, but we’ll continue to monitor the situation in case the tone around that changes at some point.

Owusu-Koramoah suffered a terrifying neck injury in 2024 and missed the entirety of the 2025 season while recovering from the injury. It now appears as if his days of playing competitive football are done. It’s an unfortunate situation for the former Pro Bowl linebacker but he at least appears to have recovered from the injury enough to lead a normal life.

Owusu-Kormaoah reported to Browns offseason activities last month, but didn’t practice with the team after suffering a serious neck injury in Week 8 against the Ravens last season. The Browns released a statement saying that they “will not make any predictions on Jeremiah’s football future at this time.” Landing on the reserve/PUP list means that Owusu-Koramoah will miss the entire 2025 season. Second-round pick Carson Schwesigner would seem to have a chance to compete for a starting role in his rookie season.

Owusu-Koramoah walked into the Browns’ practice facility months after a Week 8 neck injury ended his 2024 season. He was carted off the field after suffering the injury and was not seen at team headquarters until Tuesday. Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot stated, “it’s a great sign for the Browns and their star linebacker, although his future is still murky.” Neck injuries are difficult to gauge, and the 25-year-old had just signed an extension with the Browns before going down. Prior comments from Browns general manager Andrew Berry alluded to it being a long-term issue, though Berry said last week, “he is progressing, but again, right now I don’t have necessarily a definitive date for you.” Owusu-Koramoah is back with the Browns for now, though it may be a while until he actually sees the field.

The real quote to take away from Berry’s answer was: “I’ll be honest: It is still a little bit nebulous in terms of what that the timeframe looks like. So we really are trying to deal with it week to week and month to month.” Owusu-Koramoah went on IR with a neck injury in early November after being carted off in Week 8 following an attempt to tackle Derrick Henry. The vagueness with which the Browns have talked about his injury since leaves us with real questions about whether he will be playing in 2025.

“But with long-term injuries, I really don’t have a crystal ball…When we have a meaningful update, we’ll share that,” Berry concluded. It sounds like there’s some long-term concern about Owusu-Koramoah’s injury. The linebacker had signed a long-term extension before the season and the Browns will give him every chance to recover. He missed the second half of the season after being injured while trying to tackle Derrick Henry.

He’ll miss the next four games at minimum. It’s a tough blow to the Browns defense at this point in the season. Owusu-Koramoah suffered a neck injury in Week 8 while attempting to tackle Ravens running back Derrick Henry. Cleveland elevated DT Sam Kamara from the practice squad.

Kevin Stefanski told reporters, “He’s getting better. No update past that.” Owusu-Koramoah reportedly visited the Browns’ team facility on Wednesday morning but returned home before noon. We’ll take his mobility as an encouraging and positive sign for his overall health and wish him a speedy recovery.

JOK posted the update to his social media account a day after it was announced he would stay the night in the hospital as a precaution. We still don’t know the exact nature of his injury or if he will miss any time, but it sounds like Owusu-Koramoah avoided the worst-case scenario. Owusu-Koramoah has totaled 61 tackles, three sacks, and 10 TFLs and one interception for the Browns in eight games this season.