Jack Conklin Heads To Locker Room With Injury
During the second quarter of the wildcard game between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers, Browns right tackle Jack Conklin left the game with an injury and went to the locker room to be evaluated further. He came into the game with a knee issue and while it appeared to be something dealing with his leg, it's unclear what exactly happened.
One of the big reasons the Browns signed Conklin in the offseason was for this matchup against T.J. Watt and the Steelers twice per season. In this case, it's three times this season because of the playoff matchup. Losing him when the Browns are already down Joel Bitonio at left guard means the Browns have a pair of backups in the game.
Conklin was just named First Team All-Pro and Bitionio was on the second team. Michael Dunn has done well so far in at left guard, but Conklin's replacement Kendall Lamm was exploited immediately.
It's never easy to come into the game while it's going, but Watt went around Lamm to get pressure on Mayfield, drawing a holding penalty in the process.
There's no update on the status of Conklin or whether or not he will be able to return. Fortunately, the Browns enjoyed a 28-0 lead at the time, so they have room for some error. Nevertheless, both in this game and potentially in the next round of the playoffs, they really can't afford to lose any other key players on a team already decimated with injuries as well as problems with COVID-19.
Update: It's being called a hamstring injury and Conklin is questionable to return.
