CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns wide receiver and return specialist JoJo Natson suffered a torn ACL during Sunday’s game against the Washington Football Team and will be out for the remainder of the season, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Natson left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury and did not return to the game. Stefanski confirmed on Monday that the injury was a torn ACL and would sideline him for the remainder of the year.
The Browns were keen on signing Natson, who played his senior year at the University of Akron, to bring speed and elusiveness to the kick return game.
Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer had a hand in bringing Natson to Cleveland and previously described him as having “exceptional quickness” and the ability to “make that first guy miss more than not.”
The Browns got their first chance at a kick return this season on Sunday and Natson brought it down the field for 31 yards.
Who will replace Natson this season is still uncertain, but the Browns did draft Donovan Peoples-Jones this year and he will likely be the next man up.
Natson said during training camp that he had been working with Peoples-Jones as a sort of mentor in his return game.
Stefanski said the team will work to figure out who will be the starting kick returner moving forward.
“We’ll sit down and figure out if there’s another guy on the roster who can do those types of things and we’ve got to continue, as much as we can, try to be difficult to defend,” Stefanski said. “I think we have some candidates in the building.”
Stefanski will be working with Mike Priefer over the next few days to determine the next step and Natson’s replacement for the season.
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