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The news was not good on Monday for the Cleveland Browns and right tackle Jack Conklin.
A day after leaving the game against the Cincinnati Bengals with a knee injury, medical tests have confirmed the worst and Conklin will have season-ending surgery for a torn ACL and MCL, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
Tests revealed that Browns’ right tackle Jack Conklin tore his ACL and MCL and will have season-ending surgery, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 11, 2023
This is the second time that Conklin has been hit with a season-ending injury in his four years with the Browns. In 2021 he missed time with a dislocated elbow and then tore a patella tendon in his knee that ended his year after just seven games.
Conklin came back to start 14 games last season and was set to anchor the right side of Cleveland’s offensive line, one of the league’s best, again this season before being injured.
HC Kevin Stefanski confirmed the severity of Conklin’s injury on Monday:
#Browns coach Kevin Stefanski confirms Jack Conklin will miss season and require surgery.
— Chris Easterling (@ceasterlingABJ) September 11, 2023
With Conklin out the Browns will now have to choose between turning to James Hudson III, who has made seven starts the past two seasons, or rookie Dawand Jones, who took over for Conklin against the Bengals.
No matter which way the Browns turn it will be a tough task in Week 2 as the Browns are heading to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers and edge rusher T.J. Watt, who has 15 sacks in 10 career games against Cleveland.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson, the man most in danger of feeling the heat, voiced his support for Jones after Sunday’s win (quote via a team-provided transcript):
“I think Ohio State was a spread offense coming in this system was totally different. But (Dawand) did a really good job (and) he held his own. He did what he needed to do, and he has a full week now to prepare for a big task with T.J. Watt. But I think he can handle it because whenever he has that challenge and that big task, he steps up and he likes that challenge for him to be able to prove people wrong.”
Conklin being out for the season is a blow to Cleveland’s offensive line, but if there is a silver lining it is that Jones has a full week of practice to get ready for whatever the Steelers have in store for him.
For the sake of Watson’s continued health and the effectiveness of the Browns offense, hopefully Jones is up to the task.
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