CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Three key defenders returned to practice Monday following a long weekend as the Browns began preparations to host the Washington Football Team Sunday.
Linebacker Mack Wilson as well as cornerbacks Greedy Williams and Kevin Johnson were back on the field after suffering injuries during training camp.
“[It] Was good to get some guys back out there on the grass, moving around,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said.
Wilson was carted off the field after suffering a hyperextended left knee on August 18.
“You hate when your guys go down with any type of injury, and then when you think it might be long-term,” Stefanski said. “And then we got good news on Mack, so to see him out there was really outstanding.
“He brings energy. He brings some skills as an athlete running around, hitting people so [we’re] excited to have him back out there.”
Wilson got a second opinion on the injury which confirmed he would not require surgery and be sidelined 4-6 weeks instead.
“When I went down that day, I was just thinking to myself, ‘Why me,’” Wilson said. “I thought I was done for the season with all the pain I was feeling.
“I’ve been working extremely hard every day so that I could come back. They were saying possibly 6-8 weeks and I was telling myself every day ‘I’m a warrior, I’m built for this’ so I knew I would be back sooner.”
Wilson’s injury happened a day after he tackled Nick Chubb high resulting in the running back entering the NFL’s concussion protocol and missing three practices.
“It was really tough, for me to make a bad decision tackling Chubb when we shouldn’t be tackling,” Wilson said. “I felt like it was karma, honestly, with me going back the next day and getting hurt.”
Johnson suffered a lacerated liver on August 19 when rookie tight end Harrison Bryant landed on him during a routine play.
“It was definitely an unusual situation,” Johnson said. “I was just defending a pass in practice [to] a tight end in the red zone and we were both extended in the air and we kind of twisted up in the air and he kind of just landed right on top of me onto my ribs. When the injury happened, I just thought I got the wind knocked out of me really, really bad but then it felt a little bit different than that.”
Johnson was hospitalized for 2 days but he has fully recovered and is ready to go when call upon to play.
“Once the wound heals up, it’s healed up. It’s not like a hamstring that lingers or any other injury that lingers on,” Johnson said. “My liver is healed up 100% and I feel normal.”
Williams suffered a shoulder injury on August 24.
“Getting injured is one of the most depressing things,” Williams said. “You’re not out there with your teammates, you’re not traveling with the team, you’re always in the training room, you rehab. It’s just a bad feeling to get injured [because] you can’t do certain things you love.
“I put in all the hard work then had a setback, missed two games. [There’s] a lot of stuff that goes through your mind when you get injured.
It gives you time to sit back and think. That’s why I’m happy to be back on the field. I feel like I’m freed. I feel like I’m able to do what I love.”
As for their availability this Sunday, all three deferred to head coach Kevin Stefanski.
“We’re definitely licking our chops to get back out there on that field,” Johnson said.
Conklin back – Right tackle Jack Conklin practiced Monday after not playing in the win over the Bengals due to an ankle and finger injury.
Chris Hubbard, last year’s starter, filled in for Conklin and played every snap.
An honor to be nominated – Running back Nick Chubb has been nominated for the FedEx ‘Ground Player of the Week’ award after rushing for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 35-30 victory over Cincinnati.
Practice squad add – The Browns signed tight end Kyle Markway to the practice squad Monday.
Markway, listed at 6-4, 247 pounds, is a 2019 undrafted free agent originally signed by the New York Giants and he spent time on their practice squad last season before being waived last month. He was with the Steelers at the end of camp this year. Cleveland still has 1 practice squad slot available.
Injury report – DE Adrian Clayborn, DE Olivier Vernon and LB Jacob Phillips did not practice and worked with the training/strength staff on the side.