Following Sunday’s blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Cleveland Browns’ season is certainly over. What’s less certain is who will play left tackle for the rest of the year as the team shifts towards 2025. Second-year offensive tackle Dawand Jones is no longer an option, out for the season after suffering a fractured ankle during Sunday’s 35-14 defeat to the Saints.
It looked bad on the field, Jones placed in an air cast, and Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed worst fears following the game. He told reporters Jones’ season is over.
Dawand Jones had been replacing former first round pick Jedrick Wills on the left side. Wills has seemingly been in the dog house after opting not to play through a knee injury. He was inactive for today’s game, Stefanski telling reporters Willis had his knee flare up and render him unable to dress.
After Jones left, veteran Germaine Ifedi replaced him at left tackle. On a short week with Wills ailing, it’s possible Ifedi gets the nod Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ifedi’s 43 snaps at left tackle were his first substantial snaps of his career there, playing four previous snaps on the blindside since entering the league in 2017.
It makes for a favorable matchup for for ROLB Nick Herbig, in-line to start with Alex Highsmith almost certainly set to miss another week due to his Week 10 ankle injury. In his first game back from his own hamstring injury, Herbig made an immediate impact, forcing a fumble on Baltimore Ravens RB Derrick Henry on the second play from scrimmage. He finished the day with two tackles, one QB hit, and that forced fumble.
QB Jameis Winston gave Cleveland a temporary lift in his first game replacing QB Deshaun Watson, out for the season with a torn Achilles. But he’s faded since, leading the Browns to just 24 points in his last two starts. His box score against the Saints looked impressive enough, 395 yards and two touchdowns with zero picks, but he was sacked three times and Cleveland failed to finish drives. The Browns are 2-8 and at the bottom of the AFC North.
A fourth round pick in 2023 out of Ohio State, Dawand Jones is one of the biggest offensive linemen in football. He weighed in at 6082, 374 pounds at the Combine with questions about his ability to maintain his weight. He’s seemingly done a nice job since being drafted but will spend the offseason rehabbing and getting healthy for 2025.
The Steelers and Browns kickoff Thursday night.
