Joe Haden Injury: Updates on Browns Star's Finger, Ribs and Return

Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden suffered a broken finger and rib contusion during his team's Week 3 loss to the Oakland Raiders, and he did not play in Week 4 against the San Diego Chargers.

Continue for updates.

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Haden Active for Week 5

Sunday, Oct. 11

The Browns did not list Haden among the team's inactive players against the Baltimore Ravens.

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Pettine Comments on Haden's Potential Return

Monday, Oct. 5

"[Browns head coach Mike] Pettine said hopefully [cornerback] Joe Haden can become more comfortable with [the] broken finger so we can get him back," per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.

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Haden Comments on Injured Ribs

Sunday, Sept. 27

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com provided comments from the cornerback after the team's 27-20 defeat in Week 3:

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"When I fell on Amari Cooper, his helmet went into my ribs," said Haden.

But he couldn't come out of the game. The Browns were already without nickelback K'Waun Williams, who was ruled out Friday with his concussion.

"We didn't have nobody else," Haden said.

Haden, who missed much of the preseason with a strained hamstring, went on to get beat by the 2015 No. 4 overall pick two more times on that drive—both on big third down plays, one for 18 yards and one for 23.

"It was tough but it's no excuse,'' said Haden. "I've got to play better. Everybody on the (defense), we've just got to put together four quarters.''

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Haden's Presence Critical for Browns

You would be hard-pressed to pick a more devastating injury for the Browns than losing Haden for any amount of time. He is arguably the best player on their entire roster as a two-time Pro Bowler, and he boasted 16 combined interceptions in his first five years in the league.

What’s more, Haden’s defense is critical in a division that features superstar receivers Antonio Brown, A.J. Green and Steve Smith Sr.

Tim Yotter of Scout.com underscored the cornerback’s importance when he ranked Haden as one of the five best in the NFL at his position entering the 2015 season:

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Haden has lived up to his first-round draft stock with the Cleveland Browns, despite quarterbacks not shying away from him too much. Of the 29 cornerbacks that played 75 percent of the snaps last year, he had the fourth-most passes thrown his way (113), but receivers caught only 53 percent of them and didn’t gain much ground after the catch, only 162 yards on 60 receptions. He gave up four touchdowns, but also had three interceptions.

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The good news for Browns fans is the overall secondary is fairly strong and finished eighth in the league in total passing defense in 2014. However, Haden was a major reason why, since Cleveland could leave him in single coverage against the opposition’s best receiver, which opened up the safeties to help elsewhere.