Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Out For 2026: The Neck Injury That Won't Let Go

The Cleveland Browns just put their star linebacker on the reserve/physically unable to perform list for the second straight year. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is done for the 2026 season, and it's the same brutal injury that's been haunting him since October 2024.

How One Play Changed Everything

Owusu-Koramoah got absolutely rocked back in October when he collided with Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry. It wasn't some normal tackle either. Henry's right shoulder barreled straight into the linebacker's head and neck area on a 10-yard run. The hit was so bad that Owusu-Koramoah got carted off the field. He spent the night in the hospital, though thankfully he was released the next day with movement in all of his extremities.

That was October 27, 2024. Nearly two years later, he still hasn't played a snap.

What the Browns Are Losing

This is the brutal part. Before the injury sidelined him, Owusu-Koramoah had started all eight games that season and was putting up elite numbers. He led the Browns with 61 tackles, added three sacks, and had 10 tackles for loss. The dude was playing at a Pro Bowl level. The Browns obviously believed in him too, signing him to a three-year extension worth up to $39 million back in August 2024.

Owusu-Koramoah, 26, was a second-round pick out of Notre Dame back in 2021. He made the Pro Bowl in 2023 and has racked up 308 tackles, 40 tackles for loss, 14 quarterback hits, eight sacks, six forced fumbles, and three interceptions in 49 games (41 starts) for his career. That's the kind of production you don't just replace.

Now the Browns have to figure out their linebacker room without one of the best in the league, and he's got two more years on that extension sitting on the sideline.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.