The Browns announced the game status of a number of players heading into Wild Card weekend when the Browns will take on the Texans.
CB Denzel Ward is officially listed as questionable for Saturday's playoff game with a knee injury. HC Kevin Stefanski said Ward suffered a knee injury during Thursday's practice.
“There's something in his knee, he's been limited,” Stefanski said. “I don't really have an update then.”
CB Mike Ford Jr. (calf), RB Pierre Strong Jr. (back) and S Juan Thornhill (calf) are also all questionable heading into the first round of the playoffs. Strong took a hit in the Browns' Week 18 game against the Bengals in the fourth quarter and did not return for the rest of the game. He did not participate in training on Tuesday and was limited on Wednesday.
“He fights like crazy,” Stefanski said. “He's a very strong kid, so he looked good.”
S Grant Delpit (groin), K Dustin Hopkins (left hamstring) and WR Cedric Tillman (concussion) will miss Game 1 of the playoffs.
Delpit is set to return from injured reserve on January 10. He returned to training this week and was a limited participant on Wednesday. However, the Browns did not activate Delpit, and he will miss the Wild Card game against the Texans.
“I just came in, and it's all part of the rehab process,” Stefanski said of Delpit. “Part of the process is getting out on the training field and going through individual and team periods. But he's going in the right direction and progressing really well.”
Hopkins continues to work through a left hamstring injury he suffered during Week 16. Stefanski said earlier in the week that Hopkins was unlikely to play in the playoff. The Browns relied on K Riley Patterson as their kicker for the final two games of the season — whom they signed to the practice squad on December 25.
Tillman suffered a concussion in Week 18 against the Bengals and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Tillman is still progressing through concussion protocol, Stefanski said.
“Alcohol enthusiast. Twitter ninja. Tv lover. Falls down a lot. Hipster-friendly coffee geek.”