12 Browns Entering Their Final Season With Cleveland

Nyheim Hines, RB

Hines is opening the regular season on the non-football injury list, meaning that he will not be available until Week 5. The 27-year-old punt returner missed the entire 2023 season after sustaining an unfortunate leg injury when he was riding a jet ski. He has been working hard trying to rehab and make it back to the season opener but he reportedly needed more time.

When he first signed with the team, Hines had said that he was hoping to be ready for training camp. The fact that there is no timetable for his return is concerning to say the least.

This is a problem for the Browns. It is currently unclear who the Browns' punt returner is. Pierre Strong is the frontrunner to be the kickoff returner but there has been no indication who will return punts after the team cut every return specialist on the roster except for Hines. James Proche and Jaelon Darden, who returned punts in the preseason, were re-signed to the practice squad and could potentially be elevated for Week 1.

If Hines isn't back soon and outperforms the return specialists on the practice squad, his days in Cleveland may be numbered.