The Cleveland Browns will get a lift on Sunday, with two of their best offensive players returning to the fold after missing several weeks due to injury. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told assembled media on Friday that both running back Kareem Hunt and right tackle Jack Conklin will be activated from injured reserve prior to the team’s Week 12 game against the Baltimore Ravens on “Sunday Night Football.”
Hunt has been out since Week 6, when he suffered a calf injury during a loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Prior to injury, he rushed for 361 yards and five touchdowns, adding 20 receptions for 161 yards. In his absence, Nick Chubb has largely operated as the sole lead back, though D’Ernest Johnson has mixed in sparingly and played the lead role in two games that Chubb missed due to injury or COVID-19.
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Conklin dislocated his elbow in Cleveland’s Week 8 loss to the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers, and has been out for the last three games. He had also previously missed the team’s Week 6 and 7 games due to injury. Blake Hance has performed admirably as a fill-in right tackle in Conklin’s absence, though given that the team’s offense is based around the strength of its offensive line, it’s important that they get back to full health and getting Conklin back on the field is a big part of that.
Cleveland plays against the division rival Ravens in each of its next two games, with a Week 13 bye sandwiched in between. The Browns have been beset by injuries all year, but the team’s chances of winning are obviously elevated with two of its most important players returning to the lineup.
