Austin Hooper not expected to play Monday

The Cleveland Browns tight end is not expected to play against their division rival.

If the Cleveland Browns win on Monday night it might have to be without Austin Hooper. Hooper is not expected to play against Baltimore due to a neck injury.

This will be the third missed game for Austin Hooper this season. Hooper has not necessarily lived up to the lofty expectations of his contract that he signed with the Browns this offseason. Hooper has 30 receptions for 286 yards and 2 touchdowns, not exactly all that impressive for the highly regarded tight end. The Browns signed Hooper to a four-year $42 million deal with $23 million guaranteed.

To be fair, the lackluster production from Austin Hooper this season is not entirely his fault. Cleveland utilizes a run heavy game plan and the performance of Baker Mayfield can be spotty, resulting in sub-par receiving numbers for pass catchers across the board. A drop in numbers was sort of expected when Hooper signed in Cleveland due to the presence of Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. Although with how much tight end usage was discussed this past offseason one would think he would be a bit more involved than he currently is.