Cleveland Browns news and notes, Week 18: Juan Thornhill gets fine for tackle in Jets game

CINCINNATI — Browns safety Juan Thornhill drew a $12,578 fine from the league on Saturday for a play early in the third quarter of the win over the Jets.

Thornhill, who was not flagged on the play, drew an unnecessary roughness fine on a play with 10:58 remaining in the third quarter. While the tackle on Jets receiver Jason Brownlee appeared clean, the safety did lead with the crown of his helmet while hitting him around the waistline.

Jets defensive tackle drew a pair of fines for plays late in the second quarter. He was fined $10,927 for unnecessary roughness with 3:19 remaining in the second, and then $16,391 when he hit Joe Flacco across his face with 1:41 remaining.

Flacco scrambled away from Williams on the latter play and found running back Jerome Ford for what turned into a 50-yard touchdown.

Kicker Riley Patterson, safety Vincent Gray elevated for Bengals game

The Browns added a kicker and safety with their two practice-squad elevations for the regular-season finale at the Cincinnati Bengals.

They elevated kicker Riley Patterson for the second consecutive game for the injured Dustin Hopkins. They also brought up safety Vincent Gray to aid at that injury-depleted position.

Gray is in his first NFL season out of Michigan. Originally signed by New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in 2022, Gray joined the Browns’ practice squad on Nov. 7.

Patterson made 4 of 5 point-after kicks for the Browns in their Week 17 win over the New York Jets, as well as his only field goal try. He has appeared in 38 career games with the Lions (2021 and 2023), Jaguars (2022) and Browns (2023). He has made 59 of 67 field goal attempts and 91 of 95 PATs.

Joe Flacco will still get his money from Browns for Bengals game

Part of the deal Flacco signed with the Browns when he joined the active roster included $75,000 bonuses for each game they won and in which he played 50% of the snap. However, he's guaranteed to play 0% of the snaps against the Bengals on Sunday, which would've meant no bonus.

The Browns, a league source confirmed to the Beacon Journal, has converted that $75,000 bonus into one for being on the 53-man roster. ESPN's Field Yates was the first to report the conversion.

Flacco still has bonuses available for each win the Browns could gain in the playoffs. Those bonuses are:

• Wild card win: $250,000

• Divisional round win: $500,000

• AFC championship win: $1 million

• Super Bowl win: $2 million

Thursday's Browns news and notes

Myles Garrett, Joel Bitonio win PFWA awards

Myles Garrett and Joel Bitonio added to their collection of awards on Thursday by receiving a pair of awards from the local chapter of the Pro Football Writers Association.

Garrett was a unanimous winner of the PFWA's Joe Thomas Award winner, which goes to the team's player of the year. Bitonio was voted as the winner of the PFWA's Dino Lucarelli "Good Guy" Award, which goes to a player for his cooperation with the media and for how carries himself in the community and with his teammates.

Garrett earned his fifth career Pro Bowl selection this season and is sixth in the league with 14 sacks. It's his third time winning the award, a first, and he has won it three times in the last four years.

Bitonio has won the "Good Guy" Award four times in his career. Thomas, the Pro Football Hall of Famer, is the only other player to win it multiple times.

"I appreciate it," Bitonio said. "I know you guys have a tough job to do, so try to help out any way we can. But it's appreciated and thank you."

Amari Cooper, Joel Bitonio, Denzel Ward talk about potential rest day Sunday

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski wasn't going to itemize the players who would or would not be playing Sunday at the Cincinnati Bengals. The only known one from him is quarterback Joe Flacco.

Count receiver Amari Cooper as one who will also be out against Cincinnati. Cooper has yet to practice this week as he continued to allow his heel to heal.

"I'll need that rest, obviously," Cooper said Thursday. "I mean, yeah, we getting time off. It's going to be good for my injury."

Two other players who are potential candidates to get a rest day also spoke about the subject Thursday. Although neither of them had firm answers for if they definitively would be on the will-not-play list.

All-Pro left guard Joel Bitonio missed a game in Week 6 against the San Francisco 49ers while recovering from a knee scope. He left the Week 15 game against the Chicago Bears due to a back issue.

"I'm not sure yet," Bitonio said. "I know Coach has a plan for that and he's kind of having everybody just prepare for the week and see where we're at come tomorrow or Saturday, but it is a nice position to be in where we need to relax some guys. We have that ability to (rest) some guys and get their bodies right for the playoffs stretch."

Ward missed three games in late November and early December with a shoulder injury he suffered in a Week 11 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He's returned for the previous two games.

"I think it is very helpful," Ward said. "We definitely got to take advantage of the opportunity as guys being able to rest but still work on our craft out here and practice and everything and also guys getting an opportunity to play more out there come game day. So I think it's a great opportunity for a lot of guys this week. And for this team.”

Wednesday's Browns news and notes

Elijah Moore returns to practice after sustaining concussion

Those who watched when Elijah Moore sustained a concussion in last Thursday's win over the New York Jets had to share a singular thought. That thought was: forget Moore's availability for the rest of this season, what about just his personal health?

Moore was seen convulsing on the field after he hit the ground headfirst on a tackle with less than two minutes left in the first half against the Jets. He spent the night at University Hospital for evaluation, but was released the next day.

On Wednesday, not only was Moore back at the Browns' facility, but he was also on the practice field with his teammates.

"He's progressing well," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said before practice. "He's still in the protocol."

Moore would still seem like a long shot to play Sunday when the Browns finish the regular season at the Cincinnati Bengals. Stefanski said Wednesday that, with the playoffs secured, they were going to rest several key players for the game.

That would seem like it won't just include Moore, who would still have to clear protocol first, but also receiver Amari Cooper, who was a late scratch against the Jets because of a heel injury.

Ogbo Okoronkwo back at practice after pec injury

If Moore's return to practice was the first big surprise of the week, the return of defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo may have been No. 2. That's because there was initial thought when he sustained a pectoral muscle injury during a Week 14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars that it would be season-ending.

The injury, it turns out, may still cost him the final four games of the regular season. However, it's certainly trending in the right direction for the Browns' playoff opener the weekend of Jan. 13-15.

"We'll see how he does," Stefanski said. "Obviously, he's trending in the right direction. He's put in a ton of work, so it's exciting to have him back out there."

Dawand Jones, Jack Conklin back in locker room after knee surgeries

The two injured Browns right tackles, Dawand Jones and Jack Conklin, were seen in the locker room during the portion open to the media before practice. Conklin didn't speak formally to reporters, but was smiling as he walked around without a brace on his surgically repaired left knee.

Jones, meanwhile, spent a few minutes at his locker talking to reporters. He remains on crutches with a heavy wrap around his right knee, on which he had surgery Dec. 14 to repair a torn MCL.

"That’s the only thing," Jones said of the crutches. "Just crutching around everywhere. Besides that, I’m getting back to normal."

The injury occurred on Nov. 9, the Thursday before the Browns' Week 10 game at the Baltimore Ravens. He had suffered an injury to the knee the previous Sunday in a win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Jones had stepped in for Conklin after Conklin sustained a torn ACL and MCL in the season opener against the Bengals. He mentioned "camp" as a potential target date for his return, although he wasn't sure "minicamp or training camp, I don’t know."

"Definitely sad, but it’s God’s plan," Jones said. "Whatever it brings me next, you’ve just got to stick with it and put my head down and keep working. That’s all I can do. That’s all I’ve been doing since I got here."

Browns sign Bedford High School product, former Pro Bowler Rodger Saffold to practice squad

The Browns added some veteran offensive line depth. At least, they did to their practice squad.

Offensive guard Rodger Saffold signed with the Browns practice squad on Wednesday. It's a homecoming for the 14-year pro who hails from Bedford.

Saffold spent time this season on the New York Jets practice squad. He was coming off his second Pro Bowl season in 2022 with the Buffalo Bills.

The St. Louis Rams originally made Saffold a second-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft out of Indiana University. He played his first nine season with the Rams from 2010-18, earning second-team All-Pro recognition in 2017.

Saffold spent three seasons with the Tennessee Titans, from 2019-21. Last season was spent in Buffalo.

Safford has appeared in 176 career games with 173 starts.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns news and notes, Week 18: Live news and updates