Browns DC 'almost threw up' watching game film of DE playing through brutal injury

It was reported Wednesday that Okoronkwo's torn pectoral could be a season-ending issue. The 28-year-old's ailment is one of the latest in a long, growing list of injuries for Cleveland, as the Browns fight to stay in the AFC playoff picture at 8-5.

No matter how long Okoronkwo is out for, it's a huge loss.

While the Oklahoma product hasn't started any games this year, he's appeared in all 13 and played a career-high 56% of his team's defensive snaps. Okoronkwo was easily on pace to surpass last season's career high of 518 defensive snaps played as well.

The Super Bowl LVI champion with the Los Angeles Rams signed with the Browns in March and is second on the team in sacks (4.5), third in tackles for loss (career-high 12) and fourth in quarterback hits (eight). Okoronkwo had a sack and recorded two quarterback hits in a game for the fifth time in his career during the victory against the Jaguars on Sunday.

Fortunately for Cleveland, its remaining slate of games features a variety of weak offenses on paper with either inexperienced, injured or struggling quarterbacks.

The Browns host Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears in Week 15 on Sunday before traveling to play the Houston Texans in Week 16 on Christmas Eve. The Texans offense has been strong through much of the year but recently lost wide receiver Tank Dell for the season due to injury, while breakout wideout Nico Collins (calf) and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud (concussion) are battling issues as well.

The Browns host Zach Wilson (barring a return by Aaron Rodgers) and the New York Jets in Week 17 and close the campaign with a potentially big road game against the Jake Browning-led Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18.