BEREA, Ohio — The Browns entered their week off with a win after taking down the Cincinnati Bengals in Monday night football, but that wasn't the only victory they come out of the bye week as several players were able to return to practice Monday.
Before the session, the Browns had designated running back Jerome Ford and defensive end Chase Winovichfor return from injured reserve. Both participated in practice Monday, seen working though individual drills.
But it wasn't just the guys returning from IR that were welcomed back. Cornerback Denzel Ward and guard Wyatt Teller both were back in action on the fields in Berea.
Ward has been sidelined since suffering a concussion in the Week 5 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, unable to be cleared from protocols after weeks of evaluation. Coming out of the bye, Ward was cleared from concussion protocols and got back to work.
Teller had been dealing with a calf injury sustained in the Week 6 game against the New England Patriots.
"I want to be out there every game. I get paid a lot of money to be out there. So I want to be out there every game. I enjoy it. I truly do," Teller said after practice. "I feel like I want to be out there, I want to do everything I can, so with that in mind, I'm trying to get back, trying to get right, healthy."
Teller added that while he was back at practice, he is still not sure if he'll be ready to return Sunday, saying, “I’m trending in the right direction. I feel like I’m getting better but you never know. You never know. I don’t want to give a definitive yes or no, cause I could be lying. So I don’t want to lie to you.”
Meanwhile, tight end David Njoku, who sustained a high ankle sprain against the Ravens in Week 7, was working out on the exercise bikes on the sidelines of practice, getting his body ready to return to football activities.
"I'm actually on my way to run right now. So, yeah, just getting better every day," Njoku said, noting that the plan is to try to be ready for Sunday while also being smart in his approach to return.
Defensive ends Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney, as well as tackle Jack Conklin, also worked to the side on the bikes Monday.
Seeing so many players return to practice is exactly what the Browns hoped to accomplish with the bye week. Players getting healthy, coming back refreshed and channeling a new focus with the momentum of a prime time win to carry with them as they start their preparations for the Miami Dolphins.
“I think the timing of everything, beating the Bengals, was very important from the standpoint of, listen we can play with anyone, we can win, everything’s still in front of us and ultimately going into a bye week being able to reset with that mindset," Winovich said after practice. "We got a good team here – really good players, good coaches, a lot of good pieces. Let’s come back. Let’s take some time off and spend it with our families and loved ones. Come back refreshed and recharged and make this push. The energy we had today at practice and we’re just going to keep it going.”
#Browns Denzel Ward, Jerome Ford, Chase Winovich and Wyatt Teller returned to practice today.
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) November 7, 2022
Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney, David Njoku and Jack Conklin were on the bikes. pic.twitter.com/Qp7Cyt5U6Z
Camryn Justice is a reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @camijustice.
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
