Anthony Walker left Thursday night’s game early, and the Browns linebacker will not return this season. An MRI revealed the sixth-year defender suffered a quadriceps tear, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
After initially bringing Walker in last year, the Browns gave him a one-year, $4.25M deal to come back as a starter. The team will need to make a long-term adjustment after Friday’s news. This is a tough blow for Walker, who required cart transportation Thursday night and will be set to go through a five- to seven-month rehab timetable.
A 2017 Colts fifth-round pick, Walker has been a starter for the past five seasons. The Colts let him walk in 2021 and doled out record-setting off-ball linebacker money to Shaquille Leonard months later. Walker made an impact in Cleveland last season, with Pro Football Focus rating him as a top-20 off-ball linebacker alongside promising youngster Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Walker, 27, made 113 tackles and notched a sack last season.
This will obviously hurt Walker’s chances of scoring a better free agency deal in 2023. The Browns also saw Owusu-Koramoah leave Thursday’s game; a groin injury sidelined the second-year defender. Jacob Phillips, a 2020 third-round pick, is set to both replace Walker and wear the green dot signifying a communication role, Kevin Stefanski said.
While Phillips has only started four games in his Browns career, he played well against the Steelers. The LSU product registered seven tackles and came through with a sack and a key pass breakup during Cleveland’s Week 3 win. This figures to turn into an audition season for Phillips, who played just 123 defensive snaps last year.
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