CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns lost another starter for the foreseeable future.
Less than 24 hours after placing tight end David Njoku on injured reserve because of a wrist injury, the Browns added linebacker Christian Kirksey to a growing list of players that will be unavailable for at least the next eight weeks after he suffered a chest injury in Cleveland’s 23-3 victory over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey last week.
“I want whoever is at the game to play with passion,” Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said Friday. “I want our fans to come with passion because I promise you the guys that dress up are going to play to the best of their ability, and we will see what happens.
“I do not want them worried about the scoreboard. I want them to worry about how they compete every play, and we will let the score take care of itself. I want to play smart, I want to play fast and I want to play physical, whoever is on the team. I will roll with whoever is there. I think we have enough guys who are willing to go out and play well, prepare well and put everything out there for 60 minutes or however long it takes.”
In Kirksey’s absence, it is expected that rookie linebacker Mack Wilson will slide into the starting lineup.
“I think he needs to continue to do how he has been doing in practice,” Kitchens said. “He played pretty well the other night in the game. That is the type of production I expect out of Mack, and I am assuming he expects that out of himself.
“I think he needs to continue to get better with his eyes and things like that. Defense is a lot of eyes and recognizing what is going on. I think he is continuing to work and get better at that. As you do, the production should continue to go up.”
To fill Kirksey’s spot, the Browns elevated linebacker Willie Harvey from the practice squad.