Browns Pro Bowl LB to miss 2025 season

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah‘s recovery process will extend through the coming campaign. The Browns placed the Pro Bowl linebacker on the Reserve/PUP list Monday, meaning he will miss the entire 2025 season.

The four-year veteran had his 2024 campaign come to an abrupt end due to a scary neck injury. His availability for the coming season remained in question as a result, although the team held out hope Owusu-Koramoah would be able to suit up at some point in 2025. Instead, his attention will turn to a lengthy rehab.

“Jeremiah’s health is of the utmost importance to us and although he has made progress towards recovery, we’ve made the decision to place him on Reserve/PUP,” a statement from general manager Andrew Berry reads in part. “Jeremiah has the full support of our team, and we expect him to continue to be a part of the organization even though he will not return to the field this year. We will not make any predictions on Jeremiah’s football future at this time.”

During his third season in the NFL, Owusu-Koramoah enjoyed a breakout campaign in terms of production (101 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions). Those figures helped earn him a Pro Bowl nod and land him a long-term extension last summer. The Notre Dame product is attached to a $12.5M-per-year pact which runs through the 2027 campaign.

“I’m grateful to the Browns organization for their full support, and to the world-class doctors guiding me through recovery,” Owusu-Koramoah said in a statement of his own. “While I won’t suit up this season, I’m focused on what I can control—my healing, my mindset, and my faith. The body may rest, but the calling never sleeps. I’ve given my heart to this game. I don’t know what’s next, but I’ll continue trusting my medical team, serving the community, and backing my brothers on the field.”

Jordan Hicks and Devin Bush each played key roles at the linebacker spot for Cleveland last season. They are both under contract for 2025, so they can be expected to remain important defensive contributors. The Browns used the No. 33 pick in last month’s draft on Carson Schwesinger, and the UCLA product stood to handle significant playing time as a rookie even if Owusu-Koramoah had managed to play at some point during the year. With the latter now officially sidelined, Schwesinger’s development early in his career will be critical for Cleveland.

Considering Owusu-Koramoah’s statement, a return to the field in 2026 or a later date is far from certain. The Browns clearly aim to have him reprise his role as a starting defender in the future, but whether or not that will be possible will depend on his progress in rehabbing the injury over the coming year.