After his first contract extension with the Cleveland Browns in 2024, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah looked to be in the middle of arguably the best season of his career. In Week 8 against the Baltimore Ravens, however, the linebacker suffered a career-threatening neck injury that abruptly ended his season, and since then, he has yet to return to the field. Now, amid his recovery, Owusu-Koramoah shared a cryptic message just hours before the Browns made another major decision regarding his future in 2026.

“Never chase what god is removing from your life. Trust the exit,” Owusu-Koramoah shared in his Instagram story.

The post quickly gained traction after the Browns placed the 26-year-old on the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list for the second straight season in May.

For context, after his 2024 campaign ended because of the neck injury, Cleveland placed Owusu-Koramoah on the reserve/PUP list on May 12, 2025. In simple terms, he missed the remainder of the 2024 season, sat out all of 2025, and will now miss the entire 2026 season as well.

The injury occurred on October 27, 2024, during the third quarter of Cleveland’s Week 8 matchup against the Ravens. Owusu-Koramoah was attempting to tackle Derrick Henry when he suffered the neck injury. He spent the night at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center for observation and was released the following day, but he never made it back onto the field.

Since then, the linebacker has undergone multiple forms of treatment while trying to better understand the long-term implications of the injury. Speaking to Browns reporter Kelsey Russo last month, Owusu-Koramoah said:

“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.”

A former second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Owusu-Koramoah quickly became one of the centerpieces of Cleveland’s defense. Across three and a half seasons with the Browns, he recorded 308 combined tackles, 205 solo tackles, 40 tackles for loss, and 8.0 sacks. At the time of his injury in 2024, he led the team in combined tackles (60), solo tackles (38), assisted tackles (22), interceptions (one), and tackles for loss (10).

Still, both his future with the Browns and his NFL career remain uncertain. Browns general manager Andrew Berry has largely avoided making any definitive statements about the linebacker’s status. At the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, Berry said:

“I’d say this: We are dealing with Jeremiah from month to month. I’m not necessarily overly optimistic but there isn’t a hard deadline where we have to make some type of binding decision.”

Amid the uncertainty surrounding his football future, Owusu-Koramoah has stepped away from the game for the time being and is currently pursuing his master’s degree at Harvard Kennedy School, with support from the Browns organization. And in his entrance essay, the 26-year-old reflected on the moment he suffered the gruesome injury.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah recalled the harrowing details of his injury

With the Browns placing him on the reserve/PUP list, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is now preparing for a different chapter beyond football. Earlier this year, the linebacker enrolled at Harvard Kennedy School to pursue a Master’s in Public Policy. While his full-time classes are set to begin in the fall of 2026, Owusu-Koramoah reflected on the terrifying moment of his neck injury in his entrance essay.

“Suddenly, head to toe, I went paralyzed. As I lay on the field, unable to move, my thought was only, ‘Please God, let me get up,” the LB wrote. “In the hospital, doctors told me that the injury would possibly be career-ending. The fear was real, but instead of sinking into depression, I reflected on what had already been meaningful to me. Recovery forced me to face a question that I had long avoided.

“If football ends tomorrow, how then will I be defined?…That reflection grounded me in the understanding that my purpose was never solely to become an NFL legend, but to uplift and empower people. Thus, the injury did not introduce this purpose, but it required me to choose it intentionally.”

During the collision with Derrick Henry, Owusu-Koramoah lowered his head and absorbed the direct impact of the Ravens running back’s right arm and shoulder. The hit compressed his neck and violently snapped his head backward, sending him hard to the turf immediately after contact.

Although he eventually regained movement in his limbs, the injury likely involved damage around the spinal cord, which explains why he initially felt paralyzed on the field. For now, Owusu-Koramoah remains under contract with the Browns through the 2027 season. And while his 2026 campaign already appears lost, the bigger question now is whether he will be able to make an NFL return in 2027.”