One Cleveland player’s 2023 season may be over before it even began.
Browns receiver and kick returner Jakeem Grant had to be carted off the field during Saturday’s preseason contest against the Kansas City Chiefs. Grant went down on the opening kickoff and was in immense pain, holding onto his right knee. He was eventually carted off with an air cast over that right leg.
After the game, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said that it was a “significant” knee injury for Grant, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network provided more bad news several hours later, reporting that Grant is believed to have suffered a “serious” patella injury. Rapoport adds that a torn patella would mean that Grant misses the entire 2023 campaign.
The 30-year-old Grant is a two-time All-Pro selection and was also a Pro Bowler in 2021. He was slated to operate as Cleveland’s primary return specialist this season.
At 5-foot-6, Grant relies primarily on speed and explosive running. As such, a torn patella would be really rough news for him, especially since he was just working back from a torn Achilles during Browns training camp that cost him all of the 2022 season.
Grant just went viral a few days ago for a really incredible photo with one of his Cleveland teammates. Unfortunately however, it seems that will be the last we see of Grant for awhile.
More must-reads: