Head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Monday that OT Jack Conklin will miss the remainder of the 2023 season and will require surgery for his injury.
"Very disappointed for Jack," Stefanski said. "Spent some time with him yesterday, spent some time with him today. He's a huge part of this team, and when he gets this surgery and when he's ready, he's going to be back in this building helping us because he's just, again, a big part of that offensive line room. You guys know how tight that room is just for this team, what he provides. So, disappointed for him."
Conklin suffered a knee injury in the second quarter of the season opener on Sunday against the Bengals, and was carted off the field. He was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game. Following the game, Stefanski said that the injury did not look good, but that they would wait for the results of the imaging.
Conklin signed with the Browns as a free agent in 2020, and has played a crucial part of the offensive line's success for the last three seasons. Once Conklin returns to the building following his recovery, he can help mentor some of the younger offensive lineman like OT Dawand Jones. Stefanski knows how important Conklin's presence can be for someone like Jones.
"It's hard to describe if you're not in the building every single day, the impact that guys like Jack have on your team," Stefanski said. "And it can be very subtle. It can be in meeting rooms. It can be in the weight room. It can be out on the practice field. So we'll miss him while he's getting healthy, but then we're going to need his butt back here to help."
