Browns Make Final Call on Amari Cooper Ahead of Jaguars Matchup

Getty Images Cleveland Browns receiver Amari Cooper has cleared concussion protocol and is expected to play against the Jagaurs.

Amari Cooper has cleared concussion protocol and is expected to be available for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Cooper left the Browns’ Week 13 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams after taking a hit to the head on a dropped pass. He exited the game and headed to the locker room early.

Cooper didn’t practice much this week in preparation for the Jaguars but the veteran pass-catcher will be ready to go. He was dealing with a rib injury he suffered against the Denver Broncos but has now had some extra time to recover from that ailment.

Cooper is a valuable part of a passing game that has struggled this season. He leads the Browns with 799 yards on 50 receptions. He’s no stranger to playing through injury. Cooper spent a chunk of last season banged up and needed offseason core surgery to get right.

He caught 78 passes in his first season with the Browns, notching 1,160 yards and a career-high nine touchdown grabs.

Joe Flacco Praises Browns WR Amari Cooper

Getty ImagesCleveland Browns receiver Amari Cooper.

The Browns have yet to name a starting quarterback but Joe Flacco seems to be the logical choice. Flacco got the nod against the Rams and gave the Browns some of the best quarterback play they have seen this season.

Flacco completed 23-of-44 of his passes for 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns. A costly fourth-quarter interception ruined what was otherwise a solid day for the former Super Bowl MVP.

He didn’t have a lot of time working with Cooper, who left in the second quarter against the Rams. However, Flacco had high praise for his top pass-catcher.

“He’s a special player,” Flacco said Thursday, December 7. “He definitely pops off the screen, just the way he runs his routes and catches the football. So I’m really rooting for him to get out there and help this team out. He’s a big deal.”

If Flacco doesn’t start, it would be rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The rookie has struggled at times this season but the Browns have been pleased with his progression.

“I think he continues to ascend. young player. He’s gotten better from the moment he stepped foot on campus,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “I think just understanding this game, this system operating in the huddle, operating at the line of scrimmage. I think you’ve seen him take significant steps.”

Browns Lose Starting RT Dawand Jones

One player the Browns will not have against the Jaguars is starting right tackle Dawand Jones. He suffered a right knee injury during practice on Thursday.

Jones is an imposing presence. Listed at 6-foot-8 and 375 pounds, Jones has been able to hold down the edge following a season-ending injury to Jack Conklin.

It’s extra tough for the Browns, who are already missing starting left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. He went on injured reserve in early November with an MCL injury.

Geron Christian will start at left tackle against the Jaguars and James Hudson III is expected to fill in for Jones.