The Cleveland Browns could be out multiple running backs on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Per Adam Schefter, RBs Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt did not practice on Wednesday in preparation for Week 8.
Browns not practicing today include:
🏈QB Deshaun Watson
🏈RB Jerome Ford
🏈RB Kareem Hunt— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 25, 2023
Cleveland Browns: Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt DNP
Ford ran 11 times for 74 yards and a touchdown in his team’s 39-38 win over the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday. However, the 24-year-old injured his ankle during the contest and got spotted in a walking boot after the game. Later reports indicated a high ankle sprain, so his availability was already in question for Week 8.
However, Hunt, who is fresh off 31 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Colts, more surprisingly, will not practice on Wednesday. He is dealing with a thigh injury but still has two more chances to return to practice. Former New England Patriot Pierre Strong Jr. is the only other active running back on the roster.
Ford and Hunt: Nick Chubb Substitutes
Cleveland Browns star running back Nick Chubb was amid another fantastic season before going down for the year with a gruesome knee injury. However, second-year NFL vet Jerome Ford has played well in his stead, rushing for 344 yards on 4.4 yards per rush attempt. He has also taken 14 receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Now sidelined with an ankle injury, Ford projects to miss one-to-two weeks.
Meanwhile, former Pro Bowl RB Kareem Hunt signed with Cleveland after the Chubb injury. Hunt has struggled with efficiency like last season, averaging a lowly 3.2 yards per rush attempt. The former 1,300-yard rusher spent the past four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, taking 442 rush attempts for 1,874 yards and 16 scores.
It Could be the Pierre Strong Jr. Show on Sunday for the Cleveland Browns
Pierre Strong Jr. will get the starting nod if Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt are unavailable. A fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Strong has run the ball 21 times for 102 yards and a touchdown with Cleveland this season. He posted 100 rushing yards and a touchdown on ten carries as a rookie with the New England Patriots in 2022.
The Browns have signed running backs Nate McCrary and Jordan Wilkins to the practice squad with Sunday approaching. McCrary has just one career rushing attempt, dating back to 2021, while Wilkins last played with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022.
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