Browns linebacker Jacob Phillips likely out for season

Cleveland linebacker Jacob Phillips will likely miss the 2021 season after tearing his bicep tendon, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 

Phillips was expected to be be a key rotational player on a Browns team that has Super Bowl expectations. 

A torn bicep tendon will more than likely prevent Phillips from playing in 2021, but there’s a chance he could return late in the season if the Browns make a deep playoff run.

This offseason, the Browns added Anthony Walker, via free agency, and Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah via the draft, to the linebacker room. Phillips was expected to backup Walker and see rotational snaps in his second season. 

As a rookie, Jacob Phillips played in nine games, starting three. He finished the season with 25 total tackles, one tackle for loss. 

Phillips missed six games as a rookie dealing with a knee injury.

Phillips started the Browns preseason opening win over Jacksonville last week and had one tackle in 23 defensive snaps.

In addition to Walker and Owusu-Koromoah, the Browns added Jadaveon Clowney, John Johnson III and Troy Hill to the defense this offseason. 

The Browns have had unfortunate luck at the linebacker the past two weeks. Expected starter Mack Wilson injured his shoulder in the preseason opener and key reserve Sione Takittaki left Thursday’s practice with a hamstring injury.

Cleveland has some of the best LSU representation on their roster this season. In addition to Phillips, former LSU stars Odell Beckham Jr, Jarvis Landry, Grant Delpit and Greedy Williams are all listed on the Browns two deep. 

Jacob Phillips was a member of LSU’s 2019-2020 national championship team. He played at LSU from 2017-2019, starting in his final two seasons. As a junior, Phillips led the team, and the entire SEC, in tackles with 113. AS a sophomore, playing next to future first-round pick Devin White, Phillips finished second on the team with 87 tackles.

Coming out of high school, Jacob Phillips was a four-star recruit from East Nashville Magnet School. In two seasons of varsity football, Phillips had over 200 career tackles. As a senior, Phillips earned Tennessee’s Mr. Football Award in Class 3A.