Two huge stars ruled out for Browns-Chiefs Week 1 showdown
By Josh Hill
Two of the biggest names in the Browns-Chiefs Week 1 showdown will be watching from the sideline and not playing.
The NFL is back, but not all of the superstars who play the game will be taking the field on Sunday.
Both the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs will be without massive pieces of their roster when Week 1 kicks off for them late Sunday afternoon.
Odell Beckham was ruled out, which wasn’t a total shock given where his status was in the leadup to kickoff.
While he was medically cleared to play in the Browns opener, the team left the decision to play in Beckham’s hands. He felt that Week 1 wasn’t the right time for him to make his return from a torn ACL, and his debut this season will wait at least one more week.
Browns’ WR Odell Beckham Jr. inactive.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 12, 2021
Perhaps more crucially, the Chiefs ruled safety Tyrann Mathieu out after he was deemed unable to play while he recovered from COVID-19.
#Chiefs star Safety Tyrann Mathieu won't be active for the #Browns game, per @JamesPalmerTV
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 12, 2021
It’s a massive blow for the Chiefs defense, and one that could end up swinging the game Cleveland’s way if the Browns can play at the pace and skill they did when these two teams met in the playoffs last season.