Browns Lose LB For the Season

The Cleveland Browns will be without linebacker Jacob Phillips for the rest of the season after he suffered a season-ending torn pectoral muscle after finishing last year on injured reserve with a similar injury, according to Adam Schefter of NFL Network.

Phillips was injured in the Browns’ Friday game against the Washington Commanders, and since he was drafted in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Phillips has dealt with a number of injuries, only playing in 20 games over his four-year career in Cleveland. In his career, Phillips has 88 tackles and 3 sacks.

Phillips was fighting hard for a spot on the Browns, who were looking to shake up their roster at the inside linebacker position a bit. They still have their usual faces in Anthony Walker, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Sione Takitaki, and Tony Fields, but Phillips was no longer guaranteed to make the roster despite it having short lines and rising as a concern for the team.

Over the years, that lack of depth and play at the linebacker spot has proven to be a real catalyst for the Browns’ struggling run defense, one of the main reasons why the team has not been able to climb further than they have under Kevin Stefanski. Regardless, the team could now look to outside help to try and shore up the position. They did the same at defensive tackle by signing Shelby Harris to try and fill in the gaps of the roster late in the process.