Player News
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The Browns placed Okwara (undisclosed) on the practice squad injured list Tuesday. Okwara will not be eligible to play until Week 18. The 27-year-old hasn't appeared in a regular-season game this season after logging 18 tackles (10 solo), including 1.0 sacks, across 13 games for the Cardinals in 2024.
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Cleveland released Okwara (ribs) on Tuesday, Kelsey Russo of the Browns' official site reports. Okwara wasn't able to earn a spot on the Browns' final 53-man roster for 2025, and now he's bound for free agency. He'll be free to sign with any team, but there's a chance he ultimately ends up on Cleveland's practice squad.
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Okwara finished the 2024 season with 18 total tackles (10 solo), including 1.0 sacks, while also adding a pass defensed over 13 games. Okwara operated as a depth option at linebacker for the Cardinals in 2024, stepping up on occasion to occupy a significant role on the team's defense. The linebacker matched a career-high in 13 games played, and his 18 total tackles were the second highest total of his five-year NFL career. Okwara will enter the offseason as an unrestricted free agent and he'll likely look for another opportunity elsewhere in an attempt to find a starting role.
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Okwara is set to start alongside linebackers Kyzir White and Mack Wilson after Dennis Gardeck suffered a season-ending ACL injury during Monday's win over the Chargers, Kevin Zimmerman of Arizona Sports reports. Gardeck, who leads the Cardinals with three sacks this season, tore his ACL in the second half of Monday's game, and he will be out for the rest of the year. Okwara stepped in with the first-team defense following Gardeck's injury, and the former finished the game with one solo tackle across 35 snaps, including a season-high 29 snaps on defense. Okwara is the top candidate to start at linebacker alongside White and Wilson, though Krys Barnes and Jesse Luketa should also see their snaps on defense increase. Okwara's most productive season came in 2021 as a member of the Lions, during which he registered 27 tackles (18 solo), including 5.0 sacks, two pass breakups, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery across 13 regular-season games.
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Okwara (knee) is active Sunday against the Panthers. Okwara started the season on IR after suffering an injury during the team's final preseason game. After missing the mandatory four games, the Notre Dame product is ready to return to action and make his first appearance of the season. He should be a regular part of the Lions' rotation on the defensive line against Carolina.
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Completed Games
| WK | OPP | TK | SACK | INT | FF | DFR | DFTD | PDEF | FPTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *1 | CIN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *2 | @BAL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *3 | GB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *4 | @DET | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *5 | MIN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *6 | @PIT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *7 | MIA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *8 | @NE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | BYE | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| *10 | @NYJ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *11 | BAL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *12 | @LV | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *13 | SF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *14 | TEN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *15 | @CHI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| * indicates player did not play that week | |||||||||
Scheduled Games
| WK | DATE | OPP | OPP RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 12/21 | Buffalo | 28 |
| 17 | 12/28 | Pittsburgh | 20 |
| 18 | 01/04 | @Cincinnati | 17 |