CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns have taken significant steps to address their roster by placing cornerback Greg Newsome II on injured reserve and waiving wide receiver Kadarius Toney. These moves came following a tough 27-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Newsome’s injury, which is a hamstring strain, has ruled him out for the remainder of the season. The cornerback felt a troubling “pop” during the game, leading to concerns about the severity of his condition. Coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that Newsome had previously undergone surgery on the same hamstring at the beginning of training camp this summer. Throughout the season, he accumulated one interception and 27 tackles across 13 games, with three of those being starts.

In a twist of fate, Newsome will not get the chance to compete against Steelers wide receiver George Pickens in what might have been his final matchup. The two athletes had an intense exchange, including trash talk, during a previous contest in November when Cleveland triumphed over Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, Pickens was sidelined for this latest game due to a hamstring issue.

Kadarius Toney’s performance also drew scrutiny as he was responsible for a critical taunting penalty during the game’s second half and fumbled a punt return late in the match. This miscue effectively ended any hopes of a comeback for the Browns, who now hold a record of 3-10. Toney had joined the Browns just a few months ago in September and appeared in three games with the team. Previously, he played for the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs, where he made headlines with a remarkable 65-yard punt return during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory against the Philadelphia Eagles at the conclusion of the 2022 season.

As the Browns prepare to face the Chiefs this coming Sunday, they made additional roster changes by signing wide receivers Kaden Davis and Jaelen Gill, kicker Riley Patterson, and tackle Julian Pearl to their practice squad. In conjunction with these additions, the team released defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour from the practice squad.