Perhaps the only disappointing part of the Cleveland Browns’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers was the role that injuries played in the game. Three defensive players went down in the matchup, including two linebackers who looked to play a huge part in the unit’s success moving forward.
Chief among the linebackers lost was starter Anthony Walker Jr., who left the game with a knee injury and was promptly placed on injured reserve the following day. His presence in the middle of the Browns’ defense has helped buoy the team through three weeks of the regular season, and will be sorely missed moving forward.
Walker’s replacement, third-year linebacker Jacob Phillips, spoke to members of the media on Monday about the impact of the loss on the defense. It became clear early in his comments that the unit’s outlook could be drastically different without one of their key leaders in the mix, but Phillips expressed hope for Walker’s quick recovery and said the team will do whatever they can to maintain their success in his absence.
“Very tough,” Phillips said of Walker’s injury. “Obviously, in our room, we really and on the team hold him in a high regard. He is a great teammate. Obviously, when you lose good players on your team, you wish it wouldn’t happen, but you play football long enough, injuries are going to happen. He will get through this. Prayerfully, we are just going to keep going.”
This somber note on Monday made the win against Pittsburgh feel like a bittersweet achievement, though in the game of football, brutal losses are always the norm. Walker had been one of the defense’s fastest-rising stars in 2022, and looked to be an impact player for the team for the rest of the season. Now, with Phillips filling the void, Cleveland will have to rely on his contributions to keep the defense in contention through the rest of their challenging schedule.
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