Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah suffered a significant season-ending neck injury in late October 2024. The Pro Bowl linebacker did not play last season after being placed on the reserve/PUP list in May. During the NFL Scouting Combine, Andrew Berry was asked about Owusu-Koramoah’s health and said the Browns were handling his recovery on a month-to-month basis and weren’t overly optimistic about him playing this season.
“We are dealing with Jeremiah from month to month,” Berry said, via Kelsey Russo of the team’s website. “I’m not necessarily overly optimistic. But there isn’t a hard deadline for which we have to make some type of binding decision.”
Cleveland Browns’ defense hit with crushing blow for 2026
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Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah pictured on the sideline during minicamp, Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in Berea.
On X, the Browns announced they have placed Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on the reserve/PUP list, officially shutting him down for the second straight season. Given the severity of the neck injury and the risks associated with returning, it is highly unlikely JOK will play in the NFL again. Owusu-Koramoah currently has two years remaining on his contract, so there is no rush for him to decide his future. However, it would benefit the team cap-wise to wait until 2027 to process his retirement.
We’ve placed LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on reserve/PUP
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 8, 2026
As a result, Quincy Williams will take over as the weakside linebacker alongside reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger as the middle linebacker. Meanwhile, rookie fifth-round pick Justin Jefferson, Winston Reid, Nathaniel Watson, and Easton Mascarenas-Arnold will compete for the No. 3 role.
JOK provided a brief update on his recovery and next steps
Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) celebrates a tackle against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium
Dec 10, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) celebrates a tackle against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports / Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
“For my recovery, I have been resting and going through different treatments, whether it’s soft tissue work, needling or other forms of therapy,” Owusu-Koramoah said, via Russo. “But most importantly, I’ve been in deep conversation with specialists and physicians trying to understand the true risks of returning. It’s not just whether I can play again; it’s about understanding the cost of continuing and making a decision with one-hundred percent certainty.”
JOK has also seen several specialists across the United States, as well as doctors, traditional herbalists, and healers in Ghana. He has also been accepted into Harvard Kennedy School to pursue a master’s degree in public policy and will begin classes in the fall of 2026.