Injury Update: Browns LG to feature against Texans after battling with back injury

HOUSTON The Cleveland Browns will spend Christmas Eve on the road against the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon, and they’ll do so with their starting left guard, Joel Bitonio, back in the lineup.

Bitonio was labeled as questionable for Sunday’s game due to a back injury suffered last week against the Chicago Bears. Bitonio was absent from practice on Wednesday and Thursday but returned on Friday.

Still, the Browns wanted to see how he felt after that practice and over the weekend before deciding whether or not he would play. Bitonio was cleared to play before kickoff and will play against the Texans.

Here are the Brons inactives:

• S Juan Thornhill
• LB Anthony Walker Jr.
• CB Kahlef Hailassie
• LB Jordan Kunasyzk
• DE Ogbo Okoronkwo
• C Luke Wypler
• DE Isaiah McGuire
• Kunasyzk, Okoronkwo, Thornhill, and Walker were all ruled out with injuries on Friday. Both Kunasyzk and Thornhill have calf injuries. Okoronkwo is currently recovering from a pectoral injury that could finish his season. Walker underwent a knee scope on Thursday after suffering a knee injury. The linebacker will be evaluated on a weekly basis to see whether he can play again.
  Meanwhile, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was ruled out on Friday after being placed in concussion protocol. With Stroud out, the Texans will turn to their backup quarterback, a familiar face in Cleveland, and start Case Keenum.
• The Browns can no longer clinch a playoff spot this week because the necessary situations around the league did not occur (the Bengals losing and the Bills winning eliminated all eight possible scenarios), but a win against the Texans on Sunday would put the Browns in a win-and-in situation against the New York Jets on Thursday night.