Shortly before the Cleveland Browns took the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars, we got a list of players that were unlikely to play in the game. While a few were due to injury, the rest were just a part of the new NFL process of focusing on keeping players safe and healthy going into the season.
Earlier in the week, it seemed like HC Kevin Stefanski was leaning toward more key players getting on the field but that could just be the semantics.
This week the Browns host the Philadelphia Eagles in Berea for joint practices. With the chance to bang against others in practice for a few days, Stefanski made it clear many starters won’t be on the field for the actual game between the two teams.
Instead, key players will get a chance to knock the rust off and get used to the pounding of the NFL without risking themselves in full-game activities. With the first roster reduction set for Tuesday, there will still be 170 players working on the field together, barring injury.
For fans with tickets to the second preseason game, it will be a chance to get to know some of the backups and rookies a little bit better.
