Cleveland Browns Lose Key Defender For Remainder Of The Season

Cornerback Greg Newsome was placed on the IR on Tuesday, ending his season, while the Browns also waived a two-time Super Bowl champion

Oct 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) celebrates during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Greg Newsome II's 2024 campaign is officially over.

After suffering a hamstring injury in the Cleveland Browns loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, the team officially place the 2021 first-round pick on the injured reserve two days later. It's the same hamstring that required surgery for the Northwestern product prior to training camp, and left him on the non-football injury list leading up to the season.

The news comes after head coach Kevin Stefanski made it known that Newsome would miss some duration of time due to the injury. Just how long became clear with his placement on the IR as the Browns have only four games remaining in the regular season, which is the minimum amount of games a player must sit out after receiving an IR designation.

Newsome will enter 2025 on the final, rookie option year of his deal and could is likely to be part of plenty of trade rumors again this offseason, much like last year. His time with the Browns may not be over though, if they decide to keep the core of their secondary together for 2025.

The same can't be said for two-time Super Bowl champion wide receiver Kadarius Toney, who the Browns waived on Tuesday as well. Toney committed two costly blunders as a punt returner in the team's Week 14 loss, getting called for unsportsmanlike conduct after lobbing the football at a Steelers players before heading to the sideline early in the fourth quarter. Later in the same quarter he also muffed a punt, which allowed the Steelers to end the game several plays later after recording the loose ball.

Cleveland had signed the former Chiefs wideout to the practice squad back in September and he spent most of the season there, but had recently been promoted to the active roster for game days, and then signed to it officially this past weekend. His Browns tenure comes to an end with two rushes for negative four yards, and four punt returns for 44 yards.

Along with those two notable moves, the team also signed signed WR Kaden Davis, WR Jaelen Gill, K Riley Patterson and T Julian Pearl to the practice squad and released DT Michael Dwumfour from the practice squad.