The Browns ruled out two key players on offense and a starter on defense while listing three defensive players as questionable for Sunday's game against the Ravens.
TE Harrison Bryant (ankle), WR Anthony Schwartz (concussion) and CB Greg Newsome II (concussion) won't play. Newsome was a full practice participant throughout the week but was added to the injury report Friday after hitting his head on the final play of practice.
Bryant suffered a high ankle sprain in the Browns' Week 12 loss in Baltimore and did not practice this week. Schwartz, a third-round rookie, will miss his third consecutive game.
Additionally, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said the team will be without TE David Njoku, LB Anthony Walker Jr. and P Jamie Gillan. All three are currently on the reserve/COVID-19 list and are not expected to be cleared in time for Sunday's game.
DT Malik Jackson (knee), DT Jordan Elliott (knee) and S Ronnie Harrison Jr. (ankle) are considered questionable.
CB Greedy Williams has been tapped as the next man up in previous instances when Newsome was unable to play. The Browns have also utilized A.J. Green on the outside.
Without Njoku and Bryant, the Browns are left with two tight ends on the 53-man roster: veteran Austin Hooper and Miller Forristall, who was signed from the practice squad earlier this week.
"You have to pivot and you have to adjust," Stefanski said. "Bringing Miller up, like I talked about the other day, he is somebody who we trust. He has done a nice job in practice. He knows what to do. Then we have to find the right personnel groupings and put guys in position, but ultimately how it all shakes out in terms of personnel, we will see by Sunday."
Stefanski said he'd yet to determine if LB Jacob Phillips would be activated for his first game of the 2021 season. Phillips returned to practice Monday for the first time since he suffered a biceps injury during training camp. The second-year linebacker was a key contributor down the stretch last season and appeared poised to have a significant role in the 2021 defensive rotation before the injury.
"Whether he makes it back this week or next week, in that first game back, we have to be mindful that he has not played football in a minute here. He had had a good week of practice," Stefanski said. "I will say this about Jacob, he has been in every single meeting, he has been in every single walkthrough and he has come on the road with us so he is very indoctrinated into what we are doing, and that is a testament to how hard he has worked."
