Is Jerome Ford playing today? Browns RB's status revealed for Week 18 vs. Ravens

The Cleveland Browns will conclude their challenging and disappointing 2024 season on Saturday against familiar opponents, the Baltimore Ravens, at M&T Bank Stadium.

Ahead of their Week 18 showdown, the Browns revealed on Thursday the game status of several players, including Jerome Ford, who sustained an ankle injury against the Miami Dolphins last week.

Exploring Jerome Ford's availability for Week 18

Jerome Ford won't be available for the Cleveland Browns in their final game of the 2024 season after the team ruled him out on their injury report on Thursday.

Last week's injury occurred when Miami Dolphins linebacker Chop Robinson grabbed Ford's ankle just before right tackle Jack Conklin fell on him. Following the injury, Ford limped off to the locker room and was later seen in the blue medical tent for further evaluation.

Ford did not practice during the week and will not play in the Browns' game against the Ravens, per the team's injury report.

The Browns subsequently placed Ford on the injured reserve list, along with tight end David Njoku (knee) and running back Pierre Strong Jr. (concussion), as reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter. Consequently, D'Onta Foreman and John Kelly will have to handle the team's backfield workload on Saturday afternoon.

How has Jerome Ford performed this season?

Following Nick Chubb's season-ending knee injury in Week 2 of last season, Jerome Ford took over as the Browns' starting running back. The former fifth-round pick finished the 2023 season with 813 rushing yardsand four rushing touchdowns, while also contributing 44 receptions and five receiving touchdowns.

Cleveland's 2024 season began with Ford as the starting running back for the first six games until Chubb returned to action against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7. However, in Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Chubb broke his foot, allowing Ford to return to the starting RB1 position.

Ford played in 14 games this season before being placed on IR on Friday. He led the Browns with 565 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. He also contributed 37 catches on 43 targets for 225 yards. The 25-year-old running back also averaged 25.9 yards on 59 kickoff returns.

Jerome Ford is expected to remain with the Browns through the 2025 season, but his role next year will depend on the team's offseason decisions to strengthen its running back department.