Browns cornerback Terrance Mitchell is ready to say goodbye to the cast he's worn on his right wrist for the past month. T-minus one more week.
Mitchell, who met with reporters for the first time Wednesday since his gruesome, Week 4 injury, joked he was going to be ambidextrous by the time his recovery from a broken wrist was complete.
"I think that I am moving along pretty quick," Mitchell said. "I think I am healing like Wolverine right now."
Asked if he believes he'll be back at some point this season, Mitchell said, "for sure."
Because Mitchell is on injured reserve, he is required to miss at least eight games. Sunday's against the Steelers will be his fourth, meaning he'd be shooting for Week 14 against the Panthers at the absolute earliest. He'd be able to return to practice a couple of weeks ahead of that game -- if he's ready, of course.
"I think that everything happens for a reason," Mitchell said. "I just have to come back stronger."
Without Mitchell, the Browns' secondary has seen its depth tested in a big way. This past week, Cleveland moved safety Damarious Randall to cornerback and inserted Briean Boddy-Calhoun at Randall's usual spot. That could continue until Mitchell returns, Browns coach Hue Jackson indicated Wednesday, though the team will have more options when E.J. Gaines returns from a concussion.
Mitchell, a fifth-year veteran, was playing some of the best football of his career before the injury. He forced two fumbles against the Saints and had the game-sealing interception one week later against the Jets.
He's counting down the days for when he'll be able to resume it.
"I started off pretty good," Mitchell said. "It is all about finishing, though."
-- The Browns had a lengthy injury report Wednesday, and Jackson expects three of the 12 players listed on it to be unavailable Sunday against the Steelers.
Jackson said it'd be tough to see wide receiver Rashard Higgins (knee), linebacker Joe Schobert (hamstring) and defensive back E.J. Gaines (concussion) get back in time for Sunday's game. Higgins is poised to miss his third game while Schobert and Gaines would be out for their second.
Though Randall (groin, ankle) and center JC Tretter (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday, Jackson expressed confidence that both would play at Pittsburgh.
-- Jackson said he wouldn't encourage quarterback Baker Mayfield to do anything differently on a quarterback scramble against the Buccaneers that ended in controversial fashion.
Mayfield took a shot to the head from Tampa Bay safety Jordan Whitehead as he slid to the ground on his 35-yard scramble. Officials initially flagged the play for an illegal hit to the head but ultimately picked it up, leaving Mayfield and other Browns players stunned.
"I thought he played it well," Jackson said. "I thought he ran and got as much as he can. He started to slide and he got hit, and that is unfortunate. There has to be protection for him there, and that is what we all felt and thought so we have to continue to work through that."
