Josh McCown Injury: Updates on Browns QB's Hand and Return

The Cleveland Browns feared the worst after Josh McCown suffered a hand injury during Week 3 against the Oakland Raiders, but he won't miss game time after X-rays came back negative and the team did not list him among the Browns' inactive players for Week 4 against the San Diego Chargers.

Prior to kickoff, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com noted on Twitter: "McCown still has gash on hand, but looks like the swelling has gone down. Ball coming out fine in warmups. Wasn't limited."

Cabot noted on Sept. 28 that McCown's hand was "a little swollen and [he had] his ring finger wrapped" but that McCown said he'll be "fine" and wouldn't miss practice time.

This is fortunate for McCown, especially since he has already missed time early in the season because of a concussion. He threw the ball 49 times in his return after missing Week 2 with a concussion.

Johnny Manziel took over for McCown in Week 1 after the veteran left with a concussion and will likely do so again moving forward if McCown is forced to miss more game action this season. The former Texas A&M star turned the ball over three times in the second half of that Week 1 game and eventually lost to the New York Jets, but he led the Browns to a victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 2.

While Manziel has not established himself at the NFL level, he dazzled in college on his way to earning the Heisman Trophy. The Browns hope he is the future answer at the position behind his improvisational skills and ability to make plays with his legs.

Still, the Browns are counting on McCown to start at quarterback even though he threw only 11 touchdowns compared to 14 interceptions for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year. McCown is a veteran who is not far removed from an impressive 2013 campaign that saw him throw for 1,829 yards, 13 touchdowns and a single interception off the bench for the Chicago Bears.