BEREA — The last day of camp has arrived.
That may or may not be officially true by the letter of the NFL rule book. However, for all intents and purposes, Wednesday marks the closing of Cleveland Browns training camp.
The 1:35 p.m. practice will be the final one open to the fans. Thursday afternoon, the Browns will get on an airplane to fly to Seattle, where they'll play the Seahawks on Saturday in their preseason finale.
By this time next week, the Browns will have to be down to their initial 53-man roster. At that point, it's all systems go for the regular season, which opens Sept. 8 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Follow along here for updates on what coach Kevin Stefanski has to say, as well as what happens on the field or in team news, on the final day of Browns training camp.
The Browns issued a statement late Wednesday afternoon on the status of running back Pierre Strong Jr., who had been taken to University Hospitals by ambulance after sustaining an injury during practice.
"Browns RB Pierre Strong suffered a rib contusion," the Browns statement said. "He has been released from University Hospitals after being transported there by ambulance as a precaution while experiencing shortness of breath."
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said that running back Pierre Strong Jr. suffered a rib injury that required him to be transported by ambulance from the team facility. He had no further details.
Strong sustained the injury while doing individual drills with the rest of the running backs. He initially walked into the building with a member of the medical team before being taken to the ambulance.
Cornerback Denzel Ward has been sidelined in the concussion protocol since Aug. 12. However, Wednesday marked the first time head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed it was actually a concussion.
Previously, Stefanski had refrained from saying Ward had a concussion, only that "he was in protocol." The confirmation means it's the fifth confirmed concussion the former Nordonia High School and Ohio State Buckeyes standout has suffered since he was selected No. 4 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
"I think we have great medical team," Stefanski said. "We have resources here when guys are in that protocol, and I'm confident in that."
Is Kevin Stefanski tipping his hand that he's changing his mind? Backup quarterback Jameis Winston was the one taking reps with the first-unit offense against the scout team Wednesday, a possible sign that Winston will start Saturday's preseason finale at the Seattle Seahawks.
Stefanski has stated the plan for the finale was to start Deshaun Watson. However, he did leave himself wiggle room to change that plan when he spoke on Tuesday.
Running back Pierre Strong Jr. was taken from the team facility in an ambulance after he had initially walked into the building with a member of the medical staff. Strong suffered the injury while going through individual drills.
There's no immediate word on the nature of Strong's injury.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper's practice on Tuesday was limited only to walk-through stuff at the end of practice. The veteran, who suffered an injury in last Thursday's joint practice, was back in uniform and going through pre-practice drills on Wednesday.
Two other Pro Bowl Browns were not on the practice field for another day: Tight end David Njoku and cornerback Denzel Ward. Ward has been in concussion protocol since last week, while Njoku has missed time since leaving last Thursday's practice.
Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II and defensive end Alex Wright were also absent Wednesday.
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Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Browns training camp day 16 live updates: Pierre Strong Jr. suffers rib injury
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