He was wearing a sling after the game against the Denver Broncos, claimed he felt a pop in his left shoulder. Head coach Kevin Stefanski defined Garrett’s issue as a sore shoulder on Monday, calling him “day to day.” Amari Cooper (ribs) and Jordan Elliott (ankle) were both listed as day-to-day, while quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson is in concussion protocol.
Day-to-day is vague and could mean missed games, but it’s far better than what many expected to hear particularly when Garrett described the injury to the media after the game. Cooper’s x-rays were negative, suggesting that the rib wasn’t broken. No real detail has been provided on Elliott’s ankle injury to this point. Cooper and Elliott were ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Broncos. DTR was also ruled out and was confirmed to have suffered a concussion.
That immediately raises questions as to who will play quarterback Sunday when the Browns face the Los Angeles Rams. The team is spending the week at UCLA’s campus this week in preparation for the game. Even if DTR is somehow able to clear the protocol, which isn’t likely, he will have missed some critical practices. Stefanski was only willing to say that the team would work through the quarterback position based on DTR’s health, and his progression through concussion protocol.
The speculation now turns to Joe Flacco, who was signed to the Browns practice squad last week. He was not promoted to the roster for Sunday’s game and watched in street clothes. The Browns could go back to P.J. Walker, who has appeared in a handful of games this year, even leading a pair of game-winning drives. However, it’s more likely that if Flacco can get up to speed, they will use him.
If Elliott and Garrett are unavailable to play against the Rams, the Browns may be pressed into playing rookies Siaki Ika and Isaiah McGuire. Ika has yet to be active this season. The third-round pick out of Baylor offers size and a hard charge at the point of attack, but it remains to be seen if he’s ready for Sunday action. McGuire, a fourth-round pick, has played this season, getting game reps against the Arizona Cardinals.
Dawand Jones, the Browns’ rookie offensive tackle, has played almost the entire season. Cameron Mitchell, a cornerback, has seen action and is presently on injured reserve. Ika and McGuire should receive plenty of practice reps this week and might have an impact against the Rams.
The Browns (7-4) visit the Rams before returning home to face the Jacksonville Jaguars.
