The Cleveland Browns’ rough start to 2025 just got heavier. Fresh off a 41–17 loss to the Ravens in Baltimore, their second divisional stumble in as many weeks, the team now faces a new test: injuries piling up at the worst time.

With the Green Bay Packers coming to Cleveland on Sept. 21, head coach Kevin Stefanski admitted the focus isn’t just on bouncing back—it’s on finding a way to mesh together while navigating a roster that’s suddenly banged up. And now the recent injury sheet that confirmed four key names, bringing levels of concern. Jack Conklin, DeAndre Carter, Denzel Ward, and Mike Hall.

A tweet on X by 92.3 The Fan’s Spencer German revealed: “Browns HC Kevin Stefanski says Jack Conklin is continuing to get better from the elbow injury that kept him from playing against Baltimore. DeAndre Carter is in the concussion protocol and the only player not practicing today.” Conklin’s update is encouraging, but his status still looms over an offensive line that badly needs stability. And Carter is out with concussion protocol.

He is the lone Brown not practicing. Isaiah Bond took over after Carter went down against the Ravens, but if Carter can’t clear protocol, rookie Gage Larvadain could be pressed back into duty from the practice squad. That leaves special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone with a crash course assignment—Bond wasn’t around for most of preseason and will need to cram to get up to speed fast. As for defensive tackle Mike Hall, he has Stefanski in wait-and-see mode. “we’ll see,” the coach said of his availability as Hall returns to practice after missing Friday’s session.

And then there’s Denzel Ward. The player who has made the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his career missed most of the Ravens game, but Stefanski chalked it up to the conditions: “It was warm. That heat can certainly cause those types of things even though they’re pro athletes.” If Ward’s absence really was just a matter of cramping, it’s the best-case scenario for a defense that can’t afford to lose its anchor in coverage.

Kevin Stefanski faces more questions after Denzel Ward scare

The Browns walked into Baltimore hoping for a rebound but walked out with another bruise. Kevin Stefanski now finds himself staring down tougher questions than usual about the way his team folded once the Ravens’ defense cranked up the heat. The offense stalled, the defense gassed out, and suddenly the spotlight swung back to the head coach. Was this just a bad day at the office, or a crack in the foundation? Less than 12 minutes in, star cornerback Denzel Ward—arguably the heartbeat of this defense—headed for the locker room. Cameras caught trainers working on him before he disappeared down the tunnel, leaving Cameron Mitchell to take his place.

The Ravens wasted no time exploiting that matchup, piling on pressure while Ward was listed as questionable with cramping. For a team that leans heavily on its defense to keep pace in the AFC, Ward’s absence was like pulling the spine from the unit. Relief came when he returned after halftime, but the scare was enough to rattle even the most patient Browns fans. And just as this played out on the field, the front office made a move off it. The Browns restructured Ward’s contract, converting $12.2 million of his 2025 base salary into a signing bonus—freeing up nearly $10 million in cap space. On paper, it’s flexibility for a playoff push.

In reality, it comes as the same star corner is fighting through another injury scare, making the timing almost poetic. Stefanski now has cap room, a shaken locker room, and a reliable defense. The question hanging over him is simple but brutal: can he steady the ship before the season drifts further off course?