Cleveland Browns Suffer Setback After Pro Bowl LB Ruled Out for 2026
The Cleveland Browns got some upsetting news on Friday. Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has been placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, officially ending any chance of him suiting up in the 2026-27 season.
It marks the second straight year he's opened the season on the PUP list as he continues working through the neck injury he suffered back in Week 8 of the 2024 campaign.
The Browns have handled his situation carefully throughout, and Friday's move makes clear that approach isn't changing. His long-term health remains the priority.
Cleveland's linebacker corps will move forward without one of its most experienced voices. The current group includes Justin Jefferson, Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, Winston Reid, Carson Schwesinger, Edefuan Ulofoshio, Nathaniel Watson and Quincy Williams. It's a younger unit with developing talent still working to carve out defined roles on defense.
Owusu-Koramoah was a second-round pick in 2021 and made a real name for himself before the injury hit. Across 49 career appearances, he put together 302 tackles, eight sacks, three interceptions, 17 passes defended, six forced fumbles, and 40 tackles for loss.
He earned Pro Bowl recognition and was becoming one of the better linebackers in the AFC before going down against the Baltimore Ravens on October 27, 2024. Nearly two years later, his football future remains uncertain and Owusu-Koramoah has been doing more than just rehabbing.
Life Beyond Football
After applying in December 2025, he was accepted into the Harvard Kennedy School last month and is set to begin pursuing a master's degree in public policy this fall. It's a significant step that signals he's already thinking seriously about what comes after the game.
"For my recovery, I have been resting and going through different treatments, whether it's soft tissue work, needling or other forms of therapy," Owusu-Koramoah said, per Cleveland Browns. "But most importantly, I've been in deep conversation with specialists and physicians trying to understand the true risks of returning. It's not just whether I can play again; it's about understanding the cost of continuing and making a decision with one-hundred percent certainty."
He has reportedly consulted with more than a dozen specialists across the country and also traveled to Ghana, where he met with doctors, traditional herbalists and healers as part of his search for answers.
The path back to the field is far from guaranteed. For now, the Browns wait and Owusu-Koramoah weighs what comes next.
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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 7:50 AM.