Browns LT Wills to go on IR with MCL injury

Jake Trotter, ESPN Staff WriterNov 6, 2023, 12:51 PM ET
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BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. will go on injured reserve with an MCL injury in his right knee, coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday.

Stefanski said the injury would not end Wills’ season. The IR designation means he will miss at least four games, so the soonest he could be eligible to return would be Week 14 against Jacksonville.

Wills was carted off the field in the third quarter of Sunday’s 27-0 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

He suffered the injury as running back Kareem Hunt was tackled into the back of Wills’ knee on a running play.

Wills, who has 53 career starts with the Browns, had an air cast placed on the knee and was immediately ruled out of the game.

The Browns are already without starting right tackle Jack Conklin, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1.

Stefanski said that either James Hudson III or rookie Dawand Jones will take over for Wills at left tackle. Jones has started for Conklin all year. Hudson, who replaced Wills on Sunday, has seven career starts at the tackle spots.

Wills was the 10th overall pick in the 2020 draft. In May, the Browns picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, guaranteeing his base salary of $14.175 million for the 2024 season.