Cleveland Browns' Jakeem Grant Sr. out for season after suffering torn Achilles

BEREA, Ohio − Jakeem Grant Sr. became the latest Browns wide receiver to sustain an injury during training camp, and the standout returner now will miss the entire 2022 campaign.

Grant went down during a pass play in Tuesday's practice with an Achilles injury that was later determined to be a torn Achilles, the team said. He was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday.

“I really feel awful for Jakeem," coach Kevin Stefanski said in a statement Tuesday from the team. "We’ve witnessed how hard the young man has worked since he got to our team. We all realize injuries are a part of our game but that doesn’t make it any easier to accept especially for someone that works as hard and carries himself like Jakeem.”

Grant was working in one-on-one drills when he landed on his left leg after going up for a pass. He immediately went down in pain.

It's the second time in his career Grant has suffered an Achilles injury, and both times were essentially non-contact. The same thing happened during the 2018, also while the receiver/return specialist was lined up at receiver.

"That was just an accident," Grant said Sunday of the 2018 injury. "I didn’t get hit that play any, at all. It was just something that was a freak of nature that happened, and I’m all healed up."

In that same interview with reporters on Sunday, Grant was asked about his ability to avoid big hits to his 5-foot-6, 170-pound frame.

“Be a jitterbug, man," Grant said. "Just not get hit. What I always pride myself on is you can’t hit what you can’t catch, so if they can’t catch me, they can’t hit me."

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Two days later, Grant was lost for the season due to what was basically a non-contact injury. It came on the 11th day of what had been a very good camp for him, and it'll have an impact in multiple phases of the game.

A free-agent signee from Chicago this past offseason, Grant was expected to give a major boost to the return game which hasn't produced a touchdown on a kickoff or punt return since Travis Benjamin in 2015. The 2021 Pro Bowler has averaged 10.3 yards on 119 career punt returns and 24.5 yards on 110 kickoff returns.

Last season, the Browns tied for 26th in the league in punt return average (7.2) and tied for 21st in kickoff returns (20.7). Now, with Grant sidelined, players such as D'Ernest Johnson, Donovan Peoples-Jones or even Ja'Marcus Bradley figure to be potential replacements in the return game.

Beyond the return piece, Grant also brings an element to the pass game. For his seven-year career, he's caught 100 passes (on 161 targets) for 1,140 yards and seven touchdowns. Of those 100 catches, 67 have gone for first downs.

Grant was another veteran presence in a receiving room that lacked that with the departures of Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. over the last 12 months. Amari Cooper was the obvious No. 1 option in the room, but Grant had emerged in camp as a definite threat.

Instead, Grant's the latest receiver to come up with an injury. Rookie David Bell started camp on the physically unable to perform list with a foot injury and second-year pro Anthony Schwartz sustained a knee strain on the second day of camp, although both returned to practice late last week.

Rookie Michael Woods Jr., another one who was having a strong camp, has been out since last week with a hamstring injury.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Jakeem Grant injury: Browns star suffers torn Achilles, out for year