CLEVELAND — The good news: Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey had successful surgery to repair his torn pectoral tendon after getting injured during the Browns' Week 2 win over the Jets. The bad news: his season is over.
Kirksey, who is expected to make a full recovery, started in Cleveland's first two games before he was placed on injured reserve, finishing the season with 11 tackles.
He's one of the Browns' longest-tenured veterans and a team captain who has been an integral part of the team's return to respectability.
“Right now, when I am not on the field, I want to just be that voice still and encourage my teammates," Kirksey said last week. "I do not want to check out and worry about just myself. I still have to worry about my brothers.”