Punter Dave Zastudil Placed on Injured Reserve, Out for Season

As an Ohio University alum, this pains me to say, but punter Dave Zastudil has been placed on injured reserve as he continues to recover from off-season knee surgery.

Even more disappointing is the fact that Zastudil is a Cleveland native – hailing from Bay Village – who wants nothing more than to play for his hometown team. He is currently in the last year of a five-year contract, meaning the flaring up of his patellar tendon comes at a particularly bad time.

Zastudil was cleared to play at the beginning of training camp, but his knee flared up only a few days after camp started, and he’s been out ever since. The Browns punter wished he would have gone on the physically unable to perform list at the start of camp, which would have allowed him to return in late October or early November. You can play blame Zastudil though, because when you’re cleared to play, it’s hard to sit out.

It sure has been a rough time for hometown players lately when you consider Zastudil, Joe Jurevicius’ staph infection and unfortunate exit from the team that led to a lawsuit against the Browns and the Cleveland Clinic, and LeCharles Bentley’s knee injury that kept him from ever playing a game with the Browns.