Cleveland Browns Likely Need To Plan for Life After Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

The Cleveland Browns have presented one of the NFL's elite defenses over the past few seasons but have been missing one of their most pivotal playmakers during that time.

Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has been sidelined from the Browns’ lineup since October 2024, when he suffered a serious neck injury in a collision with Ravens running back Derrick Henry. Many fans held out hope for his 2025 return, but that was unfortunately not the case.

Owusu-Koramoah was placed on the physically unable to perform list prior to the 2025 season, yet fans and teammates still held out hope they’d see him back on the field at some point, whether that was late in 2025 or in 2026.

New reports from Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com shed light on Owusu-Koramoah’s current health status—and it appears far more serious than initially thought.

How it's 'doubtful' that #Browns LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah will ever return to the field: ---> https://t.co/ZdebZSNJyM
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) February 21, 2026

Owusu-Koramoah’s Injury

According to Mary Kay Cabot, Owusu-Koramoah’s return to football is “doubtful at best” following the immobilizing hit he suffered in that Week 8 clash against division rival Baltimore. Once he was placed on a backboard and carted off for further evaluation, the immediate belief was that he had suffered a major, potentially career-altering injury.

Prior to the 2025 NFL season, Owusu-Koramoah addressed the media after being told he couldn’t play that year. He said, “I don’t know what’s next, but I’ll continue trusting my medical team, serving the community, and backing my brothers on the field.”

Owusu-Koramoah’s Impact with Cleveland

The Cleveland Browns selected linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame, and he made an immediate impact. In his first 25 games, he started 20 while racking up 70-plus tackles in each of his first two seasons.

His third season in the league was arguably his best, a career year in which he tallied 101 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and two interceptions across 13 starts. That breakout performance earned him Pro Bowl alternate honors and a new contract to anchor Cleveland's defense for years to come.

In August 2024, the Browns handed Owusu-Koramoah a three-year extension worth up to $39 million—a thrilling deal at the time for one of their rising stars. He continued to shine through his first eight games that season before the frightening injury sidelined him for the past year and a half.

Owusu-Koramoah’s outlook for returning to football remains questionable, but in the grand scheme, football is nothing in comparison to life itself. His physical and mental health must remain the top priority—and that’s worth recognizing above all else.