BEREA, Ohio — When the Cleveland Browns open training camp on Wednesday, they'll be without two of their top players. On Tuesday, the Browns announced that they have placed cornerback Denzel Ward and right tackle Jack Conklin on the NFL's Physically Unable to Perform list.
For Conklin, the move doesn't come as much of a surprise, as the 2020 All-Pro selection continues to recover from a ruptured patella tendon that brought his 2021 season to a premature end. At this point, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Conklin miss the entirety of training camp and open the 2022 regular season on the injured reserve list.
As for Ward, the two-time Pro Bowl selection has been dealing with a foot injury that he suffered on the final day of the team's minicamp in June. While X-rays and an MRI reportedly revealed no structural damage, the Ohio State product was spotted wearing a walking boot during his youth camp and will ultimately open his fifth training camp in Berea on the sideline.
The No. 4 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, Ward agreed to a five-year, $100.5 million extension with the Browns earlier this offseason, with $71.25 million of his new contract guaranteed. The deal keeps Ward -- a native of Nordonia -- under contract in Cleveland throughout the 2027 season and makes him the NFL's second-highest paid cornerback on an average annual basis.
Additionally, the Browns have placed defensive tackle Sheldon Day (back) and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (groin) on the active/non-football injury list and wide receiver Javon Wims on the active/non-football illness list. Last week, Cleveland placed rookie wide receiver David Bell on the PUP list with a foot injury.