Browns wide receiver and top return man JoJo Natson has been ruled out for the season.
Natson suffered a knee injury during Sunday's win over the Washington Football Team. Coach Kevin Stefanski revealed Monday that Natson, a key free agent signing during the offseason, had a torn ACL.
"Disappointed for him," Stefanski said. "He'll go to IR."
On top of his duties at wide receiver, Natson was the Browns' starting kick and punt returner. On the season, he returned one kick for 31 yards and three punts for 25 yards while adding one rush for 3 yards.
"I hate long-term injuries like that," Stefanski said. "JoJo was doing a nice job for us on the offensive side. As an offensive staff, those guys will sit down and figure out if there's another guy on the roster who can do those types of things. We've got to continue as much as we can to be difficult to defend. With JoJo's role, we'll work through that."
RB D'Ernest Johnson and WR Donovan Peoples-Jones are listed on the depth chart as the team's other options on punts and kicks.
"We'll work through that. I think we have some candidates in the building," Stefanski said. "That's something I'll sit down with (special teams coordinator Mike Priefer) as the week unfolds with how we want to attack this."
