Jakeem Grant Sr. was trying to work his way back from an Achilles tear he suffered last August. The Cleveland Browns wide receiver seemed poised to potentially win a job on the roster as the return man.
On the opening kickoff of Saturday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Grant brought the kick out of the end zone to the Browns 18 and was injured on the play.
Grant was carted off the field with what was reported to the media as a knee injury. He had an air cast on his right leg when he left the field. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes came over to give Grant a hug as he was being carried away.
Running back Demetric Felton was the kick returner when Kansas City kicked off after Grant’s injury. Wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones supplanted Grant as the team’s punt returner in the first quarter.
The Browns signed Grant in March of 2022 to a three-year contract. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 2016 and served as a wideout and return man. In 2021, he was traded to the Chicago Bears and named to his first Pro Bowl after he averaged 23.5 yards per kick return with 743 yards between punt and kick returns.
– Contributing: Victoria Hernandez, USA TODAY
