Pierre Strong Jr.'s Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Cleveland Browns running back Pierre Strong Jr. (ribs) went into an ambulance on Wednesday after individual drills. It was then later reported by Cleveland's head coach Kevin Stefanski that Strong suffered a rib injury. There are no more details yet. However, it's a good sign that Strong was able to walk off the field himself. Either way, the 25-year-old is listed as the fourth running back on the Browns' unofficial depth chart, behind Jerome Ford, D'Onta Foreman, and Nick Chubb (knee) when he returns. Strong is not slated to have a huge fantasy impact in 2024, but if he is healthy, monitor his number of touches compared to the rest of Cleveland's running backs.UPDATE: Strong has been released from a hospital after being transported there by ambulance as a precaution while experiencing shortness of breath.

Cleveland Browns running back Pierre Strong Jr. racked up the yardage in his team's 23-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers in their preseason opener on Saturday. Strong carried the ball six times for 15 yards while adding two catches for 10 yards in the contest. He also made an impact in the return game as he took the Browns' first kick return 27 yards to set up a field-goal-scoring drive. Strong is stuck behind multiple running backs on the depth chart but he could carve out a decent role if Nick Chubb (knee) isn't ready to play in Week 1 or if Jerome Ford suffers an injury during the season. Strong could also hold some value in fantasy leagues that give points for yardage in the return game, especially with the new dynamic kickoff rules in place.

The Athletic's Zac Jackson projects Cleveland Browns running back Pierre Strong Jr. to make the team with both Nick Chubb and Nyheim Hines coming off knee injuries. Strong might be the fifth running back on the team, though, and he might not play RB at all. He showcased his impressive straight-line speed in May and June during offseason workouts and most of his work will likely come on special teams as a punt gunner and kickoff returner. For that, he'll likely be on the game-day roster, despite a RB room that includes Chubb, Hines, Jerome Ford and D'Onta Foreman. Strong and backup cornerback Justin Hardee Sr. are near the top of the list of players in line to make the roster for special teams purposes. Just don't count on Strong being anywhere near the fantasy radar in 2024.

Cleveland Browns running back Pierre Strong Jr. (back) was participating in organized team activities on Wednesday. Strong appears to be recovered from a back injury that kept him out of the team's wild-card loss to the Houston Texans in the postseason. The 25-year-old was active for all 17 regular-season games in 2023 in his first year in Cleveland but only started one contest and had 63 rushing attempts for 21 yards and one touchdown while adding five receptions on eight targets for 47 yards through the air. Lead back Nick Chubb (knee) is recuperating from a gruesome knee injury and may not be ready to go by Week 1, but the Browns also added backfield depth this offseason in D'Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines. Even if Chubb isn't ready to go, Strong is merely going to be RB depth in Cleveland, and he's not a lock to make the roster out of training camp.

Cleveland Browns running back Pierre Strong Jr. (back) has been ruled out ahead of Saturday's Wild-Card game against the Houston Texans. Strong was considered questionable heading into this game due to a back issue. The Browns have decided to take the cautious approach and hold him out of this game. His absence won't have a huge impact on the running game for Cleveland. The expectation is that Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt will see basically all the carries in the backfield.