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According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Cleveland Browns rookie defensive end Carl Nassib suffered a broken hand during the team’s 25-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and will need surgery on it.
#Browns DE Carl Nassib suffered a broken hand yesterday, source said. He’ll have surgery, and they’re assessing how long he’s out.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 19, 2016
Some injury news came out Sunday night about center Cameron Erving, and we are awaiting the MRI results on quarterback Josh McCown. It’s one thing if a veteran goes down, but this season is about evaluating the future, and Nassib had been off to a great start for the defense.
We don’t know yet how long Nassib will be out. Last year, Texans star defensive end J.J. Watt broke his hand, but decided to play anyway. He might be an exception. In 2010, during the playoffs, it didn’t keep Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis out of action either. However, you can imagine how it would limit a player’s effectiveness. Given how early it is in the year, the Browns might want to let Nassib’s hand recover enough so he can be 100% the rest of the season when he does return.