NEW ORLEANS — Consistency has been hard to find for the Browns in 2024, but one thing they have been able to do consistently is shuffle tackles. They’ll do it again this week after left tackle Dawand Jones was carted off the field late in the first half of Sunday’s 35-14 loss to the Saints.
“Disappointed for any guy that’s out for the season, when they have a season-ending injury,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game. “He knew it right away, so I feel badly for him.”
Stefanski wouldn’t say for certain if it was a broken leg or ankle for Jones, but it appeared right guard Wyatt Teller fell on Jones’ ankle on a first-and-10 completion from Jameis Winston to David Njoku with 1:24 left in the second quarter.
“It sucks. Injuries happen all around, but when it’s one of your brothers, one of your close friends, it sucks,” Teller said, “especially, protection-wise, I think I was the one that fell into his ankle, so I’m not doing my job and that led to someone getting hurt and that’s probably the worst feeling”
Jones took over as the starter at left tackle in the Browns’ Week 8 win over Baltimore when Jedrick Wills Jr. sat out with a knee injury even though he was cleared. Jones started again in Week 9 against the Chargers even though Wills was healthy.
“I made a business decision not to play after the Bengals game going into that Ravens game because I was injured,” Wills said on Monday.” And then the next week is when I received the news (Jones would start).”
Stefanski defended Wills a few days later, calling what he said a poor choice of words.
“I know the connotation of ‘business decision,’” Stefanski said. “That’s not how he meant it. Did not feel like he was near 100% to help us. But poor choice of words and he understands that.”
Business decision or not, Jones became the third different starter at left tackle this season when he replaced Wills and, after playing right tackle for the entirety of his NFL career, had an opportunity to make his case for becoming the longterm answer at the position.
Instead, the Browns could end up going back to Wills, who was inactive on Sunday after his knee injury flared up.
“Just felt like it was a good idea with a game coming up Thursday to make sure he gets treatment,” Stefanski said.
Wills is in the final year of his five-year rookie contract.
The Browns have had to navigate this season with three tackles coming back from season-ending surgery a season ago. James Hudson III started three of the first four games at left tackle, with Wills returning to start Week 3 and then sitting out Week 4 against the Raiders.
Hudson underwent shoulder surgery after getting injured against the Giants in Week 3 and is likely lost for the season.
Browns left tackle Dawand Jones injured his ankle late in the first half of Sunday’s loss to the Saints.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Jones started the first five games of the season at right tackle before Jack Conklin returned. Conklin had major knee surgery after getting injured in the opener in 2023 and then was dealing with a hamstring injury that delayed his return. He’s started the last four games on the right side.
“It’s a bummer,” Conklin said of Jones’ injury, “especially, I mean, I’ve been in that position a couple times. Anytime you see a guy get hurt, you just hate to see it.”
Sunday the Browns turned to Germain Ifedi, the ninth-year pro out of Texas A&M. The former first-round pick spent four years with Seattle, two with Chicago and one with Atlanta and has started 83 games in his career.
“I thought Germain did a great job coming in,” left guard Joel Bitonio said. “He’s played a lot of football. He’s worked his butt off all season and I think he was pretty solid when he was in there.”
The Browns host the Steelers Thursday night at Huntington Bank Field, meaning they’ll have to deal with edge rusher T.J. Watt. Watt lines up almost exclusively on the right tackle side and Alex Highsmith, who rushes from the other side, missed Pittsburgh’s game against Baltimore with an ankle injury and it’s likely a stretch for him to play Thursday night, but the Steelers will certainly find a way to attack the Browns on the left side, no matter who they start.
At least the Browns can find solace in knowing instability at tackle is nothing new for this team this season.
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