54 Olivier Vernon DE

Vernon (Achilles) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.

Vernon suffered a ruptured Achilles in the Week 17 win over the Steelers, thus ending his 2020 campaign. The 30-year-old finished his ninth NFL season with 36 tackles, nine sacks -- his highest total for a season since 2013 -- and three pass breakups. With the injury occurring in the season finale, it's unclear if Vernon, who will be a free agent in March, will be ready for the 2021 season.

Vernon suffered a ruptured Achilles during Sunday's 24-22 win over the Steelers, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

Consequently, Vernon will undergo surgery and won't be available for the playoffs. The 30-year-old defensive end finished the 2020 season with 36 tackles (24 solo), nine sacks -- his highest total since 2013 -- and three pass breakups. Vernon is set to be an unrestricted free agent in March, but his recovery timeline could push off his next deal until the summer.

Vernon will have an MRI on his ankle, according to coach Kevin Stefanski, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

After suffering an ankle injury during the second half of Sunday's game against the Steelers, it's confirmed Vernon will need to be examined further as the Browns prepare for their first taste of the playoffs since 2002. Vernon has played a strong role for the Browns defense this season, registering 34 tackles (22 solo) and eight sacks.

Vernon is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Steelers with an ankle injury, Dale Lolley of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

The 30-year-old had two tackles and one sack before exiting the contest during the second half. There's less than four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, so Vernon will need to recover quickly to have a chance of retaking the field Sunday.

Vernon had five tackles, one sack and two quarterback hits in Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Jets.

Vernon continued a strong second half of 2020, posting all eight of his sacks over the last eight games. He has 34 tackles, eight sacks, three passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery over 13 games this season.

Vernon had three tackles, two sacks and one pass defensed in Monday's 47-42 loss to Baltimore.

Vernon has been productive since midseason, posting seven sacks over the last six games. He's played 98 percent of the snaps over the last three weeks, a sign he's over the knee injury sustained in the second half of 2019. Vernon has 26 tackles, seven sacks, three passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery over 11 games.

Vernon recorded five tackles, including three sacks, one pass defensed and was credited with a safety in Sunday's 22-17 win over the Eagles.

The Browns needed other defensive linemen to step up, because they played without Myles Garrett (reserve/COVID-19). Vernon recorded just 3.5 sacks over his first 15 games with Cleveland since the start of the 2019 season, but he's dropped quarterbacks five times in the last three games.

Vernon had four tackles and two sacks in Sunday's 16-6 loss to the Raiders.

Vernon recorded his first two sacks of the season in an encouraging performance, as it came during a game in which Myles Garrett sustained a knee injury. Garrett will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury, so Vernon's ability to get to the quarterback will be needed should Garrett be forced to miss time. Unfortunately, Vernon was also part of the front line of a defense that allowed the Raiders to rush for 208 yards and possess the ball for nearly 38 minutes.

Vernon (groin) is active Week 6 against the Steelers.

Vernon missed time with an abdominal injury early in the season and seemed to pick up a new groin issue in Week 5, but it won't prevent the starting defensive end from taking the field for the third consecutive week. Adrian Clayborn will be on hand to work opposite Myles Garrett if anything does flare up for Vernon during the contest.

Vernon (groin) is questionable for Sunday's game at Pittsburgh, Andrew Gribble of the Browns' official site reports.

The 30-year-old picked up the groin injury during the Week 5 win over the Colts, and his status for Sunday's matchup with the Steelers remains in question. Adrian Clayborn and Porter Gustin are poised for larger snap shares should Vernon be unavailable in Pittsburgh.

Vernon is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Colts due to a groin injury, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Vernon left the field with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter and Cleveland's offense on the field, so it's quite possible that he won't return Sunday. He had one tackle and a quarterback hit before leaving the field.

Vernon (abdomen) is active Week 4 against the Cowboys.

Vernon hasn't suited up for Cleveland since Week 1, but was back on the practice field in a limited capacity each day this week. While no official announcement has been made, Vernon would seemingly be in line to draw the start at defensive end alongside Myles Garrett, especially considering Adrian Clayborn (hip) will not be suiting up.

Vernon (abdomen) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Vernon suffered the injury during Week 3's win over Washington, and he failed to return to the contest. If the veteran is forced to miss this week's game, Adrian Clayborn (hip) is expected to start in Vernon's place if he's healthy, but if Clayborn is ruled out, expect Porter Gustin or Joe Jackson to get the nod.

Vernon (abdomen) has been ruled out for Sunday's game versus Washington, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports.

Vernon will sit out a second consecutive game due to this abdomen injury. Adrian Clayborn (hip) is expected to start in Vernon's place if he's healthy, but if Clayborn is ruled out, expect Porter Gustin or Joe Jackson to get the nod.

Vernon (abdomen) didn't practice Wednesday, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Vernon sat out last week's win over the Bengals after practicing on a limited basis, so it's disconcerting that he wasn't able to practice at all Wednesday, nearly a week after last Thursday's game. With fellow defensive end Adrian Clayborn (hip) also sitting out Wednesday's practice, the Browns would need to reach deep down the depth chart at the position if neither guy is able to suit up Sunday against Washington.

Vernon (abdomen) is inactive for Thursday's divisional match against the Bengals, Andrew Gribble of the Brown's official site reports.

Vernon managed to practice on a limited basis all week, but he'll need more time before being cleared to retake the field. In his stead, Adrian Clayborn stands to slot into the starting lineup at defensive end.

Vernon (abdomen) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Bengals, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Vernon was limited in practice throughout the week. He recorded two tackles (one solo) in Week 1 against the Ravens.

Vernon and the Browns have agreed to a restructured contract that includes a no-tag clause for next offseason, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Reports earlier this offseason suggested Vernon might be released, as he was scheduled for a $15.5 million cap hit in the final season of a five-year contract. His new deal for 2020 includes $11 million guaranteed, with another $2 million available via incentives. The 30-year-old pass rusher was held back by a knee injury last season, finishing with career lows for games played (10), tackles (26) and sacks (3.5) in his first year with the Browns. Vernon is still a useful player when he's on the field, but it's now been three consecutive years with 12 or fewer games and seven or fewer sacks. The decision to keep Vernon in Cleveland reduces the chances of the team signing Jadeveon Clowney, though it could still work out easily enough from a salary cap perspective.

The Browns have until a week before the regular season opens to release Vernon without having to pay him, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Vernon has one more year on his contract, valued at $15 million, and the Browns will be evaluating him over the summer. His impact as an edge rusher is well known, but recently Vernon's durability has become a concern. The 29-year-old defensive end missed four games in 2017 and five games in 2018 due to high-ankle sprains before last season's knee injury limited him to 10 games. The Browns are aware that when healthy last season, Vernon made an impact and could be a big piece of the defensive line, which the team feels is its strongest feature on that side of the ball.

Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski assumes Vernon will be part of the Browns' 2020 roster, Marla Ridnour of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

The Browns did not select a defensive end during the seven rounds of the draft, suggesting Vernon will be around for the 2020 season. "That's my assumption. Obviously, I think Olivier is a really great player, unfortunately he was banged up a little bit. We look forward to all our guys contributing next year," said Stefanski, who added that no messages should be read into the team not drafting a defensive end. "But I wouldn't say it was a message of any sort, the fact we didn't draft a defensive end. We're not in the business of sending messages via the draft. We trusted the board and as the players came up, we made sure that we had the right people for the job." Vernon, who is due a team-high $15.5 million in salary and bonuses this season, was limited to 11 games in 2019, his first with the team, due to a knee injury and finished with 3.5 sacks and 26 tackles.