NFL rumors: Kyler Murray sticking in AZ? Eagles mole, Joe Flacco's job just got even harder

NFL Rumors: Browns lose LT Jedrick Wills to season-ending knee injury

The Cleveland Browns will be without LT Jedrick Wills for the remainder of the 2023 season, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. He underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Tuesday related to an injury he suffered in the Browns' victory on Nov. 7 over the Arizona Cardinals.

The comes shortly after rookie RT Dawand Jones was moved to the IR with a knee injury.

There was initial hope that Wills could return before season's end, but now the timetable shifts to 2024. It's an unfortunate break for the Browns, who claimed the top Wild Card spot with Sunday's victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Joe Flacco popped in his second Cleveland start, completing 26-of-45 pass attempts for 311 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.

Cleveland will now be without both their starting tackles — Wills and Jack Conklin, who was moved to the IR with a knee injury early in the season — and their primary backup tackle, Jones, for the remainder of the current campaign. It's difficult to manage multiple key absences on the offensive line, especially for a team as reliant on the run game as Cleveland. The Browns also lost Nick Chubb early in the season, too. Flacco hardly has the full complement of Browns weapons at his disposal.

That said, Cleveland is still well-positioned for a postseason push if Flacco can maintain Sunday's level of play. The Browns' No. 1-ranked defense continues to get timely stops and Flacco, while far from perfect, still has the arm talent and quarterback savvy to keep the Browns' offense out of purgatory. A winnable home matchup against the Chicago Bears awaits.