CINCINNATI — Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones will get his start at wide receiver as the Browns head into their first game this season without Odell Beckham Jr. on the roster.
Peoples-Jones has been sidelined since the Thursday Night Football game against the Denver Broncos where he injured his groin pregame warmups. He's been working his way back since and increased his practice activity leading up to Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The timing of his return is a relief for the Browns, who this weekend finalized the release of Beckham following a tumultuous week between him and the team.
RELATED: Odell Beckham Jr.'s release from Cleveland Browns finalized
In addition to naming Peoples-Jones a starting receiver Sunday, the team also announced its list of inactive players heading into the game, including:
- WR Odell Beckham Jr.
- CB Herb Miller.
- G Hjalte Froholdt.
- TE Miller Forristall.
- DE Joe Jackson.
- DT Tommy Togiai.
- DT Andrew Billings.
Harrison Bryant, Jadeveon Clowney, Takk McKinley, Peoples-Jones, and Denzel Ward were all listed as questionable on Friday's injury report but will be active Sunday. The only players who had been ruled out on Friday were Beckham and Jack Conklin. Conklin was placed on the injured reserve list with an elbow injury Saturday.
With Conklin out for at least three games, Blake Hance will start t right tackle.
Bryant sustained a thigh injury during Thursday's practice, Clowney has been dealing with ankle, knee, and hip injuries, McKinley is dealing with a groin injury and Ward has been working through a hamstring injury.
On Saturday, the Browns elevated defensive tackle Sheldon Day and tight end Miller Forristall to the active roster from the practice squad.
The elevations of Day and Forristall are part of a rule allowing a team to carry up to 55 players on the roster during a given week before the transaction deadline ahead of a game, giving the team a larger pool to choose from when selecting their 47 or 48 gameday active players. Following the game, the players elevated to the active roster for that purpose will revert back to the practice squad the day after the game.
Linebacker Anthony Walker will serve as the Game Captain for the crucial divisional matchup with the Bengals.
For Cincinnati, the following players have been listed as inactive:
- OL Fred Johnson
- CB Vernon Hargreaves
- WR Trenton Irwin
- WR Auden Tate
- DE Cam Sample
Chris Evans, Sample and Tate were listed on Friday’s injury report as questionable to play. Evans was the only player of those listed as questionable to be active Sunday.
Camryn Justice is a digital content producer at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @camijustice.
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