In addition to getting drubbed in Week 1 on the road against the Jaguars on Sunday, the Cleveland Browns also found themselves dealing with some worrisome injuries coming out of the game, and for a team with a roster as thin as this one, that’s a major concern. The Browns were mostly healthy in the opener, and still got drubbed, 34-10. Imagine if they were injured, too. They did lose left guard Zion Johnson, one of their key additions in free agency to the offensive line, to a left knee injury.
But on Monday, coach Todd Monken gave an update, and while he was not specific, he indicated that the news on Johnson isn’t dire. He did return to the game, but there were concerns about the knee.
“I don’t really have an update yet, a final update, but we got good information earlier today in terms of where he was at today, so we’ll have a better idea when he gets back in the building Wednesday,” Monken said.
Zion Johnson Had 2 Bad Holding Penalties
It was, for the most part, a rough Browns debut for Johnson, who was signed as one of the big additions to the line this winter. The Browns gave Johnson a three-year, $49.5 million contract with $32 million guaranteed, after he played his last four seasons with the Chargers, having been a first-round pick from Boston College in 2022. Johnson was a solid guard, but never quite lived up to his draft position.
In his first game with the Browns, Johnson almost singlehandedly cost the team and chance to get some modicum of respectability just before the first half, when the offense moved the ball to the Jacksonville 39-yard line with just under a minute to go and the score 24-0. Johnson was whistled for a holding penalty on first down, which set off a comical series of events that included a false start by tackle Tytus Howard, a delay of game from Deshaun Watson, and another holding by Johnson that put the Browns in a second-and-34 situation.
Browns, Zion Johsnon Made Mistakes
That’s not great, and when recounting the ineptitude the Browns showed on Sunday, the fact that they had 11 penalties for 75 yards probably gets overlooked, behind the poor showing by Watson and the fact that the once-vaunted Browns defense was awful against Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
When addressing the mistakes, Monken said: “We did have a couple of miscommunications. We had a couple times where we got covered where he was looking, and that got him to scramble. There were a couple of good calls they pressured us into. We were trying to get out of the play and didn’t have a chance to get out of the play. All the above. Sometimes Deshaun’s just going to have to get rid of it. So, all of that was a byproduct of us being behind. Being behind in the score, and also just, again, everybody taking their turns.”
Browns Rookies Impressed
Now, the good news, and though it was a rarity on Sunday for the Browns, there were a few positives. While Johnson had the knee issue and the two penalties, the two bright spots on the offense line were rookies Austin Barber, who played right guard in place of the injured Teven Jenkins, and left tackle Spender Fano, the Browns’ No. 9 overall pick this year.
Said Monken: “Oh, I’m jacked. Those two guys are going to be really good players. Austin (Barber), for jumping in there and learning early in the week, he’s going to be starting, and Spencer (Fano) is going to continue to grow. I really think we’ve got some young, really good players that are just going to continue to get better and better.”
Browns Get ‘Good’ Injury News on $49 Million Starter After Week 1