Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns legend Josh Cribbs is a bit uneasy with his former team's current quarterback situation after Deshaun Watson went down for the season ... telling TMZ Sports he doesn't have confidence in backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson until he proves he can handle the gig.

Of course, the 6-3 Browns are without their $230 million man for the rest of the 2023-24 campaign due to a shoulder injury ... which means they'll try to keep their hopes alive with DTR under center.

The former UCLA signal-caller saw the field in Week 4 against the Ravens ... and it wasn't great -- he threw for only 121 yards, tossed three interceptions and was sacked four times.

With that being said, Cribbs is somewhat cautious going into Sunday's game against the Steelers ... saying he may not be too high on DTR yet, but he has faith in the team as a whole.

"I rely on action, on stats -- as of now I don't have confidence into DTR until he goes out there and proves it," Cribbs says. "He has a great opportunity to redeem himself in the eyes of his fanbase and the eyes of his teammates."

"His teammates are charged to believe in him wholeheartedly and go out there and win, but the fans are not," he adds. "So, I have faith in the Browns team that they can get the job done."

"So, if we can put it all off of DTR's hands, to say I don't just believe in DTR. I believe in the team because it's gonna take more than DTR. Even if he just simply hands the ball off every single play, it's gonna be up to the team to dictate how this game goes, as well as Coach Kevin Stefanski."

Cribbs commends the Browns and Stefanski for coming up with new ways to get the job done despite dealing with numerous injuries this season -- including Nick Chubb and Jack Conklin to name a few -- and he's not ready to draw the curtains on their Super Bowl chances ... even making a Jurassic Park reference to get his point across.

As for the players, Cribbs tells us he's got a good pulse on how the vibes are in the locker room ... saying he spoke with cornerback Greg Newsome II recently, and he explained how the guys are able to stay level-headed no matter what happens on the field.

There's more -- Cribbs also spoke highly of Watson ... praising the former Pro Bowler for putting his "heart and soul" into the team before the injury.

Jerome Ford says Kareem Hunt deserves big-time props for helping the Browns keep things together following Nick Chubb's devastating injury ... telling TMZ Sports the guy "brought the juice back" after Cleveland's star RB went down.

Ford went in-depth with us on the state of the Browns earlier this week following the team's big win over the Ravens ... and he made it clear to us that Hunt has played a huge role in Cleveland keeping the wheels on despite the loss of Chubb -- both on and off the field.

"When Nick left," Ford said, "it left a gap in the running back room. And Kareem came in and -- I really don't know how to explain it other than to say that he brought the juice back."

You'll recall, after Chubb tore up his knee against the Steelers on Sept. 18 ... Cleveland turned to Hunt on Sept. 20 to bolster its RB corps.

And, according to Ford, the roster move changed everything.

"He came in, joking and playing," Ford said. "And he gave us the juice that we needed to kind of, like, 'Yeah, Nick's down, but we gotta keep pushing.'"

The Browns are 5-2 since Hunt joined the squad ... and in those seven contests, he's scored six total touchdowns.

Ford says Chubb, meanwhile, is doing well in his recovery ... and helping out whenever he can.

Deshaun Watson's season is over -- the Cleveland Browns just announced the quarterback will undergo shoulder surgery on his throwing arm this week ... which will keep him sidelined until 2024.

The Browns released a statement on the injury Wednesday morning ... saying Watson sustained two ailments during the team's 33-31 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

The team says Watson alerted staffers of discomfort in his right shoulder after taking a hit in the first half of the contest ... and despite finishing the game, he met with medical professionals to get it checked out earlier this week.

Watson was looked at by team physician James Voos and famous specialist Neal ElAttrache -- who recently worked on Aaron Rodgers' Achilles -- and an MRI determined he had a displaced fracture to the glenoid and would need surgery to avoid worsening the injury.

As a result, Watson -- who was 4-1 as a starter this season -- will be placed on injured reserve as he gets back to 100% for next season.

The team also revealed Watson suffered a high-ankle sprain in the win over the Ravens.

The Browns can now look to either Dorian Thompson-Robinson or P.J. Walker to replace Watson under center. Both QBs have seen the field this season, with Walker helping Cleveland to an upset win over the San Francisco 49ers last month.

Myles Garrett is going all-in on The Land -- the Cleveland Browns superstar just became a part owner of the Cavaliers!!

The team just made the big announcement on Wednesday ... saying the 27-year-old dominant defensive end will also serve as an ambassador for the organization.

"As a leader on and off the field, Myles has become a Cleveland icon and shares in our organization's commitment to being a transformative force for good across the region," Cavs owner Dan Gilbert said.

"We are honored to welcome this long-time friend of the team as our new partner and investor. Myles’ passion and commitment to the city he loves will allow us to reach new communities and continue to build the successful future of this franchise."

Garrett -- who's in the middle of a $125 million deal -- has been building his portfolio lately ... also investing in a Major League Pickleball team earlier this year.

The 2017 No. 1 overall pick has played in Cleveland his entire career ... racking up four Pro Bowls and two First-Team All-Pro selections.

He's also gotten pretty tight with the Cavs during his time in northeast Ohio ... even showing off his crazy dunking skills while hanging out with the squad at Summer League this past offseason.

"I have admired the Cavaliers organization’s hard work, tenacity and dedication to the community since my early days in Cleveland,” Garrett said. "To have the opportunity to join this impressive and purpose-filled franchise, under Dan’s leadership, is truly a dream come true."

The news comes just hours before the Cavs kick off their 2023-24 season against the Brooklyn Nets ... and the team will certainly hope Myles' dominance rubs off on Donovan Mitchell and Co.

David Njoku's face was badly burned in the fire pit accident, but things could've been way worse ... the Browns star says his eyes were open when the fireball burned his face, and he could've lost his eyesight.

“I give all the glory to God. When it happened my eyes were open, so I saw everything and I really should’ve been blinded,” Njoku told reporters, adding ... "Luckily I'm not, so I give all glory to God."

Of course, the 27-year-old, former first-round draft pick stamped his status as one of the toughest dudes around when he played the week 4 game against the Ravens just days after the incident, somehow wearing a helmet over the burned area.

“All the pain and suffering from training in the offseason is far worse than any of this,” Njoku said.

The Browns lost handily to Baltimore, 28-3, but David was a bright spot, catching 6 passes for 46 yards ... despite the burns.

Initially, Njoku didn't reveal the injury. In fact, he walked in and out of the locker room with a mask that covered his whole face.

Then, earlier this week, David shared a photo from shortly after the incident, in addition to a photo showing the burns healing, albeit slowly.

As for how he's feeling now ... how's this for good news?

Napoleon McCallum -- the ex-Raiders running back who nearly lost his leg after suffering a devastating knee injury during a game in 1994 -- is advising Nick Chubb to consider all of his options before coming back to the football field full-time.

The former Oakland tailback tells TMZ Sports ... if he had the chance to sit and talk with the Cleveland star following the 27-year-old's injury last Monday night -- he'd be sure to get that message across to him.

"I understand it's hard to leave," McCallum said of what he'd say to Chubb. "You just gotta weigh your future life and all the great things that you can do with family and friends."

McCallum's injury was far more serious than Chubb's -- he ruptured an artery and severed a nerve in addition to tearing his ligaments on a run play against the San Francisco 49ers -- but he nonetheless knows at least part of the road Chubb will have to go down in order to feel normal again.

For McCallum, the end of that journey meant never playing football again ... an outcome he seems to think Chubb should at the very least consider.

"I just wish him the best," he said.

Minkah Fitzpatrick says he was not trying to end Nick Chubb's season when his goal line tackle resulted in a devastating injury ... defending himself and claiming the controversial hit wasn't a dirty play.

The three-time Pro Bowler broke his silence on the incident with reporters on Thursday ... clapping back at critics who say the result could have been prevented.

"You can tell me how to tackle him low, but it's a fast game," Fitzpatrick said. "It's a game where you make decisions in milliseconds."

"Can't really control what happens after you choose to make your decision. I already chose to go low. Somebody got on his back when I was going low, and what happened happened. There's nothing I really would do differently."

Chubb will be sidelined for the rest of the season ... and his football career remains up in the air as a long road to recovery awaits him.

Fitzpatrick said it's still unfortunate what happened and he hopes Chubb gets well soon.

"Nick Chubb's a great player," Fitzpatrick said. "He makes the game a lot better when he's playing."

James Harrison says it's the NFL's fault Nick Chubb is done for the season -- not Minkah Fitzpatrick's -- telling TMZ Sports he believes the league's rules forced the Steelers safety to go low on Monday night.

The former Pittsburgh superstar didn't mince words when talking about the hit that ended Chubb's season ... explaining he thinks Fitzpatrick had no other choice than to aim for the Browns tailback's knees on the controversial play.

"You've made it to where if a guy goes in there and comes in high and hits him in the head, now he's getting fined," Harrison said. "So what do you have to do? You've got guys shooting low now. That's just what you've done made the game into."

In fact, Harrison says if he were still playing today ... he fears he would have caused similar injuries in an effort to avoid penalties and fines from NFL officials.

"To be honest with you, there would probably be a whole lot more people getting hurt," he said. "Because I'm going to shoot at your legs."

Not all have agreed with Harrison ... former NFL wideout-turned-broadcaster Nate Burleson said on Tuesday he thought Fitzpatrick could have done a whole lot more to avoid hurting Chubb.

James Harrison dice que es culpa de la NFL que Nick Chubb esté fuera por toda la temporada, no de Minkah Fitzpatrick. James le dijo a TMZ Sports que cree que las reglas de la liga obligaron a los defensas de los Steelers a apuntar hacia abajo la noche del lunes.

El ex superestrella de Pittsburgh no se anduvo con rodeos al hablar sobre el golpe que puso fin a la temporada de Chubb, explicando que cree que Fitzpatrick no tenía otra opción más que apuntar las rodillas del tailback de los Browns en la polémica jugada.

"Has llegado a un punto en el que si un tipo entra ahí y llega alto y te golpea en la cabeza, ahora lp multan", dijo Harrison. "¿Qué tienes que hacer? Ahora los chicos tiran bajo. En eso se ha convertido el juego".

De hecho, Harrison dice que si todavía estuviera jugando hoy, teme que habría provocado lesiones similares en un esfuerzo por evitar sanciones y multas de los oficiales de la NFL.

"Para ser honesto, probablemente habría mucha más gente lesionada", dijo. "Porque les habría disparado en las piernas".

No todos han estado de acuerdo con Harrison. El ex jugador de la NFL y hoy locutor, Nate Burleson, dijo el martes que pensaba que Fitzpatrick podría haber hecho mucho más para evitar lastimar a Chubb.

"This is a serious injury and it will need reconstructive surgery. He will definitely be out the rest of this year. Next year is in question, as well. And, so is his career."

That's orthopedic sports surgeon, Dr. David Abbasi ... offering his medical opinion on Nick Chubb's gruesome knee injury, sustained during the first half of the Browns vs. Steelers Monday Night Football game.

Abbasi is a double board certified fellowship trained ortho surgeon specializing in shoulder, elbows, and knees ... and although he hasn't treated 27-year-old Chubb, he has been the sideline physician for the Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bearcats, FIU Panthers and a bunch of big UFC fights.

The Browns have not yet announced the specifics of the injury to the 4x Pro Bowler, but Abbasi says it's clear there was a knee dislocation, and with that, serious ligament damage.

"You can see he gets hit on his knee. That is his knee dislocating out," the doctor explained, "His knee popped out of place."

Thankfully, Abassi says the knee went back into place moments later ... and that's important because it limits the risk to the nerves and the blood vessels "which can be limb threatening."

The bad news ... for the knee to pop out the way it did, David says, "[Chubb] had to have torn at least two of the four ligaments, but usually it's more than two ligaments."

"The knee ligaments I'm referring to here consist of the ACL, the PCL, the MCL, and the LCL. I would not be surprised if at least three, if not all four of these have torn."

After the MNF game, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Chubb would be out for this season.

It's not the first time the 4x Pro Bowler has dealt with a serious injury to his left knee. Back in 2015, Chubb tore three ligaments (all but the LCL) in a college football game vs. Tennessee. He missed the rest of the season but was back for '16.

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb suffered a horrific knee injury Monday night ... one that was so bad, ABC chose not to air close-up replays of it.

The NFL star and his team were going toe to toe against the Steelers during a primetime game in Pittsburgh ... when Chubb got knocked out of the contest in the second quarter.

During one of the plays ... Deshaun Watson handed the ball to the 27-year-old tailback, who sprang forward into a crush of helmets, getting tackled by Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Moments later, Chubb was unable to get to his feet even with the help of his teammate. He grimaced and writhed in pain as he gripped his left knee -- which he also severely injured in 2015 while playing college football.

A far-away replay showed Chubb's leg had bent in a way it shouldn't have ... and both Joe Buck and Troy Aikman -- the game's broadcasters -- told the audience they would not be showing the other angle of the hit due to its gruesomeness.

Chubb was then carted off the field to cheers from the opposing crowd at Acrisure Stadium.

After the game, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters Chubb suffered a "significant knee injury" -- one that will almost certainly sideline the running back for the rest of the season.

El corredor de los Cleveland Browns, Nick Chubb, sufrió una terrible lesión de rodilla el lunes por la noche, tan mala, que ABC optó por no transmitir repeticiones en primer plano de ella.

La estrella de la NFL y su equipo se enfrentaban a los Steelers en un partido en horario prime en Pittsburgh, cuando Chubb quedó fuera de combate en el segundo cuarto.

Durante una de las jugadas, Deshaun Watson le entregó el balón al jugador de 27 años, quien saltó hacia adelante, y fue aplacado por Fitzpatrick.de los Steelers Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Momentos después, Chubb fue incapaz de ponerse en pie incluso con la ayuda de su compañero de equipo. Hizo una mueca y se retorció de dolor mientras se agarraba la rodilla izquierda, que también se lesionó gravemente en 2015 mientras jugaba en la universidad.

Una repetición lejana muestra que la pierna de Chubb se dobló de una manera que no es la debida, y tanto Joe Buck como Troy Aikman, los locutores del juego, le dijeron a la audiencia que no iban a mostrar el otro ángulo del golpe, por lo fuerte que era.

Chubb fue sacado del campo entre los vítores de la multitud en el Estadio Acrisure.

Después del partido, el entrenador de los Browns, Kevin Stefanski, dijo a los periodistas que Chubb sufrió una "lesión significativa en la rodilla", una que casi con toda seguridad lo dejará fuera por el resto de la temporada.

Johnny Manziel is opening up on his serious mental health battles following his NFL career ... revealing he purchased a gun and intended to use it on himself.

The former Heisman Trophy winner addressed his suicidal thoughts in Netflix's "Untold: Johnny Football" documentary, which drops next week ... saying he had his demise all mapped out -- he would blow all his money, and then take his own life.

"I think I was just running from problems," Manziel said. "It was probably a $5 million bender. Direct self-sabotage, trying to burn this thing down."

Manziel's issues on and off the field were well-documented at the time ... and he said he burned so many bridges that he felt "the ride was over."

"I had planned to do everything that I wanted to do at that point in my life. Spend as much money as I possibly could and then my plan was to take my life. Months prior, I went and bought a gun I knew I was going to use. I wanted to get as bad as humanly possible to where it made sense and it made it seem like an excuse and an out for me."

It's unclear if Manziel actually attempted suicide ... but he said "the gun just clicked on me."

Johnny appears to be doing much better now ... and he's even opening his own bar near his old college campus at Texas A&M this fall.

Deshaun Watson's biggest fan was in attendance at Browns training camp on Tuesday ... with the quarterback's girlfriend showing some serious love for her man.

Model, influencer, and musician Jilly Anais rolled through Berea to check out #4 as he prepares for his first full season as the starter for the Orange and Brown ... and she was clearly thrilled to meet up with him after practice, 'cause she jumped in his arms and wrapped her legs around him.

"Year 7 for my quarterback," Jilly captioned her pic with Watson, who had a big smile on his face.

Watson and Anais have been inseparable for a long time -- they recently celebrated their four-year anniversary as a couple last month.

Anais' support for the signal-caller hasn't wavered one bit ... despite his recent controversy surrounding allegations of sexual misconduct from multiple massage therapists.

Joe Thomas has gone from playing in front of the Dawg Pound to getting bitten by them -- the Cleveland Browns legend was viciously attacked by canines in a crazy demonstration at a military base!!

The 2023 Hall of Fame inductee and fellow ex-NFL star Whitney Mercilus hit up the Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio in partnership with USAA ... where they got a full VIP meet and greet with the four-legged military sidekicks that are trained to locate explosives, narcotics, and personnel.

Thomas and Mercilus found out firsthand just how talented these doggos are ... 'cause they threw on some bite suits and agreed to run a 40-yard dash while being chased down by the animals.

Tech. Sergeant Hendrix warned Thomas and Mercilus before the demo ... "They are trained to bite and hold until we tell them to let go."

Despite the head's up, Thomas and Mercilus were ready to go against the dog with the strongest bite out of the bunch ... and let's just say they were doomed from the start.

The video is unreal -- Thomas barely made it a few strides before the dog launched into his back, clinging on for dear life before bringing the former offensive tackle to a complete stop.

"My heart rate was as high as I can remember, probably since I was playing football," Thomas said.

Both Thomas and Mercilus ended up being dragged to the ground by the military dog during the drill ... and thankfully, they made it out alive.

The Cleveland Browns are parting ways with defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey ... just hours after a woman claims he threatened her and flashed a gun.

According to local reports, Winfrey is accused of getting into an altercation with a woman at a downtown Cleveland hotel Tuesday night.

The woman -- who claims to know Winfrey -- said she and a friend saw the former Oklahoma star in the hotel lobby ... and one of them hurled an insult at him when they were ignored.

The two women say Winfrey then got pissed and approached them ... making a threat and showing he had a weapon.

Winfrey reportedly left the scene by the time cops arrived. He has not been arrested or charged.

The alleged incident is currently under investigation, but the Browns wasted no time washing their hands of Winfrey ... cutting him early Wednesday morning.

Winfrey was arrested back in April for assaulting a woman he was seeing at the time ... but the charges were later dismissed after he completed a pretrial diversion program.

Winfrey played in 13 games for the Browns during his rookie season ... earning 22 tackles and 0.5 sacks.