Browns add kicker to list of injuries
Published 12:25 am Monday, September 26, 2016
CLEVELAND (AP) — Already down, the Browns have been kicked again by the injury bug.
Kicker Patrick Murray was placed on injured reserve Saturday after hurting his surgically repaired left knee in practice, forcing the Browns to sign Cody Parkey to handle their kicking duties in Sunday’s game at Miami.
With Murray’s injury, the Browns have lost six starters after just the first two games this season. Quarterbacks Robert Griffin III (broken hand), Josh McCown (broken collarbone), center Cam Erving (bruised lung), wide receiver Corey Coleman (broken hand) and defensive end Carl Nassib (broken hand) are all out this week and a few of them will be sidelined for several more games.
Murray got hurt during Friday’s walkthrough. He missed last season with Tampa Bay after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament knee ligament. Murray beat out incumbent Travis Coons in training camp this summer.
He missed 52-yard field goal and had an extra-point blocked last week in a loss to Baltimore.
Parkey spent most of last season on the injured list with a groin issue, one season after he set the NFL rookie scoring record for Philadelphia with 150 points and made the Pro Bowl. He was waived earlier this month by the Eagles, who kept Caleb Sturgis as their kicker.
As if this wasn’t enough for the Browns, they could be without two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden on Sunday. Haden strained his groin in practice Friday and is listed as questionable for the Dolphins. Haden, who missed five games last season with injuries, had two interceptions last week against the Ravens.
With Griffin and McCown out, rookie quarterback Cody Kessler will make his NFL regular-season debut in Miami. Kessler is the fifth quarterback to start Cleveland’s past five games and the 26th to start for the franchise since 1999.