Injuries Spoil Browns Preseason Opener Against Packers

The Cleveland Browns opened up the preseason with a 23-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers

Cleveland Browns center Luke Wypler (56) is checked on by staff after an injury during the first half of an NFL preseason football game at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

Most teams will tell you the No. 1 goal of the preseason is to get their players to the end of it healthy. The Cleveland Browns didn't have much luck with that on Saturday, during a 23-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

In total the Browns saw five players exit the game due to injury, including one in second-year center Luke Wypler who required an air-cast and the cart. None of those players returned to the game following their respective injuries.

Safety Ronnie Hickman was the first player to go down with an injury, perhaps in the most embarrassing way possible after giving up a 65-yard touchdown to Dontayvion Wicks on the third play from scrimmage. Wicks beat Hickman down the sideline and raced to the end zone, as the Ohio State product pulled up on the play favoring his back.

Didn't take long for Jordan Love 🙌 @Packers take an early lead!

📱: Stream #GBvsCLE on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/yyJlhvP170

— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2024

That seemed to spark a bit of an epidemic for the of injuries for the Browns. Late in the first quarter young wideout David Bell exited the game after making a catch and tweaking his quad.

It wasn't too long before the Wypler injury occurred just three minuted into the second quarter. Wypler appeared to get his right ankle bent in an uncomfortable direction and stayed down on the field after the play. Upon attending to the Ohio State product, the Browns medical staff wound up stabilizing the leg and taking him off the field on the medical cart.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that Wypler had fractured his ankle and would require surgery. It's a tough blow to an already thin position group. Earlier in camp the team released veteran center Brian Allen after he wound up on the IR with an injury of his own. In Wypler's absence, North Dakota State product Zack Johnson took over at center and played the rest of the game. Ethan Pocic started the game for Cleveland but was done after two series.

Later on, safety Vincent Gray exited with a groin injury. Rookie linebacker Nathanial Watson suffered a quad injury in the third quarter and was slow to get up after making a tackle. The sixth-round pick ultimately walked off the field under his own power.

Outside of the excessive injuries, Cleveland struggled particularly on offense to do much of anything against Green Bay. After making a 55-yard field goal on the opening drive of the game – led by Jameis Winston – the Browns went scoreless until the five minute mark of the fourth quarter. They finished the game with just 224 yards of total offense, including just 56 rushing yards.

The lone spark of the game came in the form of a 13-play touchdown drive, orchestrated by 2023 fifth-round pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson. It was a well balanced sequence that saw the UCLA product pick up a key fourth-down with his legs and an initial touchdown pass to Ahmarean Brown get nullified by a penalty. Four plays later the Browns finally found the end zone courtesy of an Aiden Robbins.

Despite the game ending on a positive it wasn't enough to overshadow a game riddled with injuries as the Browns will look to regroup ahead of their joint practices with the Vikings this week.