Getty Linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk #51 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after recovering a fumble for a turnover during the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Chicago Bears at FirstEnergy Stadium on August 27, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Bears defeated the Browns 21-20. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Browns put one defender on the shelf Thursday, August 31, elevating another to the active 53-man roster in his place.
Linebacker and special teams ace Jordan Kunaszyk is out for at least the first four games of the regular season with a knee issue. Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst jumped up from the practice squad to fill the open space.
“Kunaszyk appeared in 15 games with two starts with the Browns in 2022 and led the team with 11 special teams tackles,” per the Browns’ official website. “He suffered a knee injury during the Browns’ final preseason game.”
Maurice Hurst Among Several Upgrades to Revamped Browns Defensive Line
GettyDefensive tackle Maurice Hurst (left) and defensive end Isaiah McGuire (right) of the Cleveland Browns celebrate a sack during an NFL preseason game against the Washington Commanders in August 2023.
The Browns added Hurst in March after a couple of seasons severely marred by injury. The defensive tackle didn’t play at all for the San Francisco 49ers in 2022 after appearing in just two games for the team the year prior.
Hurst has done most of his work in the NFL for the Las Vegas Raiders, selected by that franchise in fifth round of the 2018 draft. Over his five years in the league, Hurst has tallied 78 tackles, including nine tackles for loss, 17 quarterback hits, eight sacks, seven pass breakups, one forced fumble and an interception, per Pro Football Reference.
Now on the active roster, Hurst joins a revamped defensive line in Cleveland that was one of the worst in the NFL in 2022, particularly against the run. The Browns added free agent defensive tackles Dalvin Tomlinson and Shelby Harris over the offseason as well as defensive ends Za’Darius Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo. The team also drafted rookie DT Siaki Ika in the third round.
Jordan Kunaszyk Injury Latest in String of Issues for Browns LBs Stretching Back to Last Year
GettyLinebacker Jordan Kunaszyk of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after recovering a fumble during an NFL game.
Kunaszyk’s knee injury, the specifics of which haven’t been disclosed as doing so is not yet a requirement for NFL teams, is the latest in a long line of health issues that have plagued the Browns’ linebacking corps. All three of the team’s starters missed several games with injury in 2022.
Anthony Walker Jr., who will serve as one of Cleveland’s five captains again in 2023, went down for the entire season with a torn quad he suffered in Week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sione Takitaki sustained a torn ACL during a Week-13 matchup with the Houston Texans. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah sprained his knee the following week against the Cincinnati Bengals, which sent him to the IR for the remainder of the year.
Backup linebacker Jacob Phillips suffered a season-ending pectoral injury in October 2022. He sustained another torn pectoral muscle this preseason, which will cost him the entirety of the 2023 campaign.
Phillips’ injury opened up a spot on the Browns’ 53-man roster, an opportunity that undrafted free agent Mohamoud Diabate seized on this preseason by earning a spot with the team.
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Browns Send LB to Injured Reserve List, Add DT to Active Roster