Injuries have taken a major toll on the Browns as they have dropped to 3-3 in a season of gargantuan expectations.
Running back Kareem Hunt (calf) and rookie linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (high ankle sprain) will each miss several weeks after suffering "significant" injuries in Sunday's 37-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday on Zoom.
Stefanski said Hunt will miss more than three games and his timetable for return is "in that ballpark" of four to six weeks.
Hunt and Owusu-Koramoah are expected to be placed on injured reserve. By rule, players must miss at least three games on IR.
The Browns will gather information about how quarterback Baker Mayfield (shoulder) and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (shoulder) are doing in the next few days before deciding whether they'll be able to play against the Denver Broncos (3-3) on Thursday night at FirstEnergy Stadium, Stefanski said.
Mayfield had his left, non-throwing arm in a sling during his postgame news conference Sunday night, when the quarterback said he "absolutely" expects to face the Broncos.
If Mayfield's plan doesn't work out, the Browns would start backup quarterback Case Keenum.
"We'll make sure to work through all that in the next couple days and obviously take what the medical staff says, what Baker, in this case, says, and we do that for all of our players," Stefanski said. "Making sure we make prudent decisions with all of these guys."
Two-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb (calf) sat out against the Cardinals (6-0), but Stefanski said he wasn't ready to rule out Chubb for Thursday's game.
