Browns Veteran Forcing His Way Out of Cleveland With Abysmal Play

Cleveland Browns OT Germain Ifedi could be leaving down in the near future based on his recently underwhelming performances.
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski during the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High.
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski during the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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The Cleveland Browns will enter the NFL Week 15 slate with a horrendous 3-10 record — good for last place in the AFC North. A win or loss against the Kansas City Chiefs won't matter because the Browns have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

With the postseason no longer on the menu, Browns fans are already looking ahead to the offseason. General manager Andrew Berry likely has some big plans for the coming months as he tries to figure out who should and shouldn't be given an opportunity to be a part of a potential turnaround in 2025.

While certain Browns' spots on the roster are already secure, one underperformer's abysmal play could result in him playing elsewhere next year.

Browns Rumors: OT Germain Ifedi is on Thin Ice

Penalties played a big role in the Browns' 27-14 loss to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14. Kevin Stefanski's team was penalized for 81 total yards on nine calls, including when offensive tackle Germain Ifedi took an untimely 'roughing the passer' penalty on a third down in the fourth quarter.

Unsurprisingly, Stefanski wasn't thrilled about the lack of discipline. According to ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi, the Browns head coach said that Ifedi's penalty "will be addressed" and that the situation is "really disappointing."

Ifedi's glaring mistake couldn't have happened at a worse time. The 30-year-old veteran is set to become a free agent after signing a one-year contract with the Browns in the offseason, and attracting any suitors will be harder if he can't provide well-disciplined performances.

Unfortunately, the ex-Texas A&M product's abysmal play isn't anything new this fall.

Ifedi has been one of the worst aspects of Cleveland's offensive line this season. The veteran OT has hurt the Browns' quarterbacks more than he's helped them, playing to a putrid 40.7 pass block grade on Pro Football Focus — the fourth-worst mark among 79 eligible tackles this season.

Ifedi has surrendered a whopping 16 QB pressures despite only playing 189 passing downs so far. He's allowing pressure on about 8.5% of downs, which is a dramatic increase from the 4.2% average he tallied in 17 games with the Chicago Bears back in 2022.

The former 2016 first-rounder has started in each of the Browns' last three games, but that could change based on Stefanski's latest statement. If the 42-year-old HC wants to end the campaign on a high note, he might have to bench Ifedi and give his spot in the lineup to someone hungrier to make an impact.

We'll know more about Ifedi's Week 15 role as we get closer to Sunday's home game. It's shaping up to be another ugly affair for the Browns, who are currently listed as 4.5-point underdogs to the Chiefs on FanDuel Sportsbook.

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