The Cleveland Browns are losing a key part of their defense, as they announced on Saturday morning that linebacker Christian Kirksey is being placed on injured reserve with a chest injury.

Kirksey suffered the injury during the Monday night win over the New York Jets earlier this week, and he will now miss a minimum of eight games. In a corresponding move, the Browns promoted linebacker Willie Harvey Jr. to the active roster and re-signed running back Elijah McGuire to the practice squad.

Harvey went undrafted out of Iowa State earlier this year, but signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent. He played in all four preseason games and made 10 combined tackles, which earned him a spot on the practice squad. 

Malik Jefferson is currently listed as Kirksey's backup on the depth chart, but Mack Wilson may be the linebacker who is inserted into the starting lineup. So far this season, he has recorded four combined tackles while Jefferson has recorded just one. 

Kirksey played in every game in his first four NFL seasons, but injuries have begun to take a toll. He missed a total of nine games last season, two with an ankle injury and then the last seven with a hamstring injury. While Kirksey does seem like a big loss, the Browns actually fared well without him in 2018.

Cleveland's defense gave up over 400 yards of total offense in all seven games Kirksey played in, and gave up 400 yards of total offense just once in the other nine games when Kirksey was sidelined. That came in Week 17, when the Browns gave up 296 yards on the ground to Lamar Jackson and Co. In all, the Browns gave up 6.22 yards per play in the games Kirksey was available, but just 5.06 yards per play in the games Kirksey missed.

The Browns have a big chance to build on their first victory when they host the Los Angeles Rams this week on Sunday Night Football. The season got off to a slow start, but a primetime win over the defending NFC Champions would prove to the NFL that the hype surrounding the Browns is still for real.