The Ridiculousness Of Cleveland’s Health Situation
Credit: Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK
They had one job! Stay healthy! That’s all they had to do. The Cleveland Browns played seventeen games last year, literally pulled a guy off the street to play quarterback, and still got to the playoffs. This year, they can’t even get to their third preseason game without a guy nearly dying it seems. This hasn’t been a typical preseason. It’s been an episode of “Trauma: Life In The E.R.” No Browns fan has gotten to tune in to see who is going win a starting job or which rookie might break out. No, we’re all tuning in to see who’s limping off the field this time, and sadly, who’s getting into trouble off the field as well.
Pierre Strong was just running through a standard gauntlet drill and bam! The next thing you know, he’s on his way to the hospital with rib troubles. It’s like there’s a guy taking potshots at these guys from a watchtower. It’s not just Strong either.
D’Onta Foreman? Neck injury during a punt drill.
Denzel Ward? Sidelined by a concussion (the fifth of his career, by the way) without even playing a preseason snap.
And then there’s the case of Michael Hall Jr., the rookie whose domestic dispute led to an arrest, complicating the Browns’ preseason further. Even if he’s cleared of the most severe accusations, the shadow lingers — another distraction in an already tumultuous preseason.
Why don’t we just remove the grass and randomly place landmines on the field?
It’s not just the injuries themselves — it’s who’s getting injured. The Browns’ offensive line needs an offensive line to protect THEM. Jedrick Wills: OUT. James Hudson: OUT. Is there anyone out there who could protect the people who protect the quarterback? The quarterback who I don’t even really want to be here in the first place? You know, the one that just this week left practice due to general arm soreness? The same quarterback who had to have his shoulder surgically repaired last year?
Yeah, that one.
Now, amidst this chaos, there’s a ray of hope — Jack Conklin has been spotted at practice, not quite ready to don the cleats, but doing something that looks suspiciously like football things. Could this be the turning point? Or just another episode in the long-running series of “Ouch! There Goes Another Key Player!” the Browns have been airing.
Let’s cut through the spin: these injuries aren’t just a bump on the road; they’re potentially derailing the Browns’ train before it even leaves the station. It’s not just about missing bodies; it’s about what this means for a team’s dynamic, its strategies, and fan expectations. Every injury is a story not just of personal pain but of what might have been — a game not played, a pass not thrown, a block not made.
After an unrivaled history of struggle, it seemed the Browns had finally molded a roster ready to rocket to the top of the league. The coaching staff was good and then it became great. The players were good and then they added better. The quarterback was supposedly more than capable. But here we are questioning how we can jerry rig a roster to compete in week 1!
As the preseason winds down, with the regular season right over there, the Browns have some tough choices to make. How do they adjust? Can they shore up their lines, or is it going to be another long season of watching their QBs run for their lives? That is, if Watson’s arm can stay on in the first place.
Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: the drama off the field is just as intense as anything the Browns might cook up on it. Here’s to hoping the regular season brings fewer instances of “Grey’s Anatomy” hospital drama and more touchdown dances. But hey, this is Cleveland — where hope springs eternal. And so do visits to the medical tent.
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