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Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah won’t be suiting up this season – and it’s now looking increasingly likely he may never play again. The Browns placed him on the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Friday, officially ruling him out for a second straight year.
The move removes the 26-year-old from Cleveland’s 90-man roster entirely, with no path to activation for the remainder of the season.
It’s a sobering reality for a player who looked like one of the best young linebackers in the NFL just two years ago.
Owusu-Koramoah last played in October 2024, when he suffered a neck injury that’s essentially brought his career to a halt. Browns GM Andrew Berry didn’t mince words back in February, telling reporters he was “not overly optimistic” about his chances of ever returning to the field.
Life Away From Football
While his football future stays uncertain, Owusu-Koramoah hasn’t been standing still. He’s been working toward a master’s degree in public policy at Harvard University – with the Browns’ backing – and continuing treatment for his neck injury at the same time.
Speaking to Browns reporter Kelsey Russo in April, he gave a honest look into where his head’s at right now:
“For my recovery, I have been resting and going through different treatments, whether it’s soft tissue work, needling or other forms of therapy. But most importantly, I’ve been in deep conversation with specialists and physicians trying to understand the true risks of returning. It’s not just whether I can play again; it’s about understanding the cost of continuing and making a decision with one-hundred percent certainty.”
It’s a measured, mature response from someone who clearly understands the weight of the decision in front of him.
A Career That Was Just Hitting Its Stride
Cleveland drafted Owusu-Koramoah in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame. His first two seasons were steady but relatively quiet – 25 games played, building toward something bigger. That something arrived in 2023, when he put together a Pro Bowl season that turned heads across the league.
That year he posted 71 solo tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions, forming a defensive core alongside Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward that gave opposing offenses real problems. He looked like a cornerstone piece for years to come.
Then the injury happened – and everything changed.
Whether Owusu-Koramoah returns to the NFL remains to be seen. For now, the Browns are moving forward without him, and he’s focused on his health and his studies at Harvard.
