Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) rests in between plays during the first half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Injured Browns LB seems to dispute report of career-ending injury

By Anthony Farris | Last updated Feb 22, 2026 10:25 PM ET

Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah doesn't seem ready to hang up the cleats just yet. At least that's what the man known to most as "JOK" seems to be telling his Instagram followers.

On Saturday, Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer said it was "doubtful at best" that Owusu-Koramoah would be able to return to the field, a result of a neck injury suffered during an October 2024 Browns-Ravens game.

JOK was hurt during a collision with Baltimore's 250-pound running back, Derrick Henry. Owusu-Koramoah missed the remainder of the 2024 campaign and all of the 2025 season following the injury.

In what seemed like a clear response to Cabot's reporting, Owusu-Koramoah took to Instagram and let his fingers, or more likely, thumbs, respond.

"Someone catch me up on the news," Owusu-Koramoah captioned on a photo of himself posted to his IG story.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on the news drop from @MaryKayCabot last night suggesting his playing career was possibly over…

(: @j_owuu IG)#DawgPound pic.twitter.com/w2SrHqzrDg
— SleeperBrowns (@SleeperBrowns) February 22, 2026

Owusu-Koramoah was a 2021 second-round pick

Neither the Browns nor Owusu-Koramoah has commented on JOK's possible return or retirement in months. Until either does, Browns fans can still cling to the hope of seeing Owusu-Koramoah rejoin a sometimes dominant defense that in 2025 included the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett and the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year, Carson Schwesinger.

In four seasons, all with Cleveland, JOK has totaled 308 tackles, eight sacks and three interceptions.

Anthony Farris

Anthony is an Ohio-based writer with more than a decade of writing experience, including stops at FanSided, OutKick, and others. He's a fan of all Cleveland sports, which has, in turn, resulted in high blood pressure and what some might consider a drinking problem. Again, blame Cleveland

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