{"id":29389,"date":"2025-12-26T14:54:53","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T18:54:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/harold-fannin-jr-questionable-for-steelers-after-practice-groin-injury-browns-tight-ends-status-uncertain-heading-into-week-17\/"},"modified":"2025-12-26T14:54:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T18:54:53","slug":"93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/","title":{"rendered":"Harold Fannin Jr. questionable for Steelers after practice groin injury, Browns tight end’s status uncertain heading into Week 17"},"content":{"rendered":"

Harold Fannin Jr. suffered a groin injury<\/b> during Friday’s practice, leaving his status for Sunday’s crucial matchup against the Steelers very much in doubt. The Browns have already ruled out David Njoku<\/b>, their other starting tight end, making Fannin’s availability absolutely critical to their pass game. The team will wait and evaluate over the weekend before making a final decision.<\/p>\n

\n

\ud83d\udd25 Quick Facts<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Harold Fannin Jr.<\/b> added to injury report Friday with groin injury<\/b> during practice<\/li>\n
  • Listed as questionable<\/b> for Sunday’s Week 17 game against Pittsburgh Steelers<\/li>\n
  • Rookies tight end leads team with 26 receptions<\/b>, 304 yards<\/b>, and 3 touchdowns<\/b><\/li>\n
  • Browns ruled out David Njoku<\/b> for the weekend, increasing pressure on Fannin availability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n

    Timing of the Injury Creates Challenge for Browns Offense<\/h2>\n

    The groin injury popped up unexpectedly on Friday after Fannin was not on the injury report Wednesday or Thursday. The late timing puts the Browns in a difficult position with just days to assess whether their star rookie tight end can play against Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

    Groin injuries typically require careful evaluation before athletes return to full contact and movement. The team must balance getting Fannin evaluated properly with preparing for a division rival that doesn’t rest on injuries.<\/p>\n

    Fannin’s Critical Role in Browns Passing Attack<\/h2>\n

    Fannin has been a primary target<\/b> for the Browns offense this season, becoming one of the most reliable pass-catchers. In only his rookie year, the tight end has established himself as a go-to option in the passing game that opposing defenses must account for.<\/p>\n

    Without David Njoku<\/b> and potentially without Fannin, the Browns would be forced to lean heavily on backup tight end options. This would significantly limit the offensive playbook and reduce quarterback effectiveness against Steelers defensive backs.<\/p>\n

    Steelers-Browns Matchup Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Factor<\/td>\nStatus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Week<\/td>\nWeek 17<\/b> (Final regular season)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Tight End Availability<\/td>\nNjoku Out<\/b>, Fannin Questionable<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Fannin’s Season Stats<\/td>\n26 receptions, 304 yards, 3 TDs<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Gameday Decision<\/td>\nWill be evaluated over the weekend<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

    What This Means for Fantasy Football and Betting<\/h2>\n

    For fantasy football players, Fannin’s uncertain status creates a significant dilemma heading into Sunday. His average target share means significant production potential, but the groin injury raises serious questions about his effectiveness if he does play.<\/p>\n

    The betting community will be watching closely to see if Fannin gets ruled in or out. His availability could shift point spreads and game projections on a late Friday evening.<\/p>\n

    Can the Browns Overcome Their Tight End Situation Against Pittsburgh?<\/h2>\n

    The Browns face a tough situation with both their starting and backup tight ends dealing with issues. The Steelers defense will expect less passing involvement if Fannin cannot go, which could open up opportunities for Pittsburgh to focus on stopping the run game.<\/p>\n

    Quarterback Dillon Gabriel<\/b> has relied heavily on Fannin throughout the season as his safety valve in the passing game. Finding alternative targets without him becomes crucial for offensive success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":29388,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"schema_org_data":"{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"Pittsburgh\",\"description\":\"city\"}]}","_extracted_celebrities":"","_extracted_movies":"","_extracted_places":null,"_extracted_videos":"","_last_enrichment_date":"2025-12-26 14:55:29","footnotes":""},"categories":[188],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"yoast_head":"\nHarold Fannin Jr. questionable for Steelers after practice groin injury, Browns tight end's status uncertain heading into Week 17<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Harold Fannin Jr. questionable for Steelers after practice groin injury, Browns tight end's status uncertain heading into Week 17\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Red94\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-26T18:54:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael Brown\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Michael Brown\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michael Brown\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/58afe56b917c963c37d09aadbd8b892b\"},\"headline\":\"Harold Fannin Jr. questionable for Steelers after practice groin injury, Browns tight end’s status uncertain heading into Week 17\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-26T18:54:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/\"},\"wordCount\":494,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/53045-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin.jpg-scaled.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Sport\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/\",\"name\":\"Harold Fannin Jr. questionable for Steelers after practice groin injury, Browns tight end's status uncertain heading into Week 17\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/53045-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin.jpg-scaled.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-26T18:54:53+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/53045-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin.jpg-scaled.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/53045-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin.jpg-scaled.png\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":678,\"caption\":\"Harold Fannin Jr. questionable against Steelers as Browns tight end suffers groin injury in Friday practice\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Entertainment\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/entertainment\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Harold Fannin Jr. questionable for Steelers after practice groin injury, Browns tight end’s status uncertain heading into Week 17\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/\",\"name\":\"Red94\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Red94\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-Red94.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-Red94.png\",\"width\":289,\"height\":90,\"caption\":\"Red94\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/58afe56b917c963c37d09aadbd8b892b\",\"name\":\"Michael Brown\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/generateperf\/images\/icons\/avatar.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/generateperf\/images\/icons\/avatar.svg\",\"caption\":\"Michael Brown\"},\"description\":\"Michael Brown is a seasoned sports journalist bringing years of experience covering professional athletics and sporting culture. With a keen eye for breaking stories and player dynamics, this veteran journalist delivers in-depth analysis and exclusive insights from the world's biggest sporting events. His passion for the game shines through in every story, keeping fans connected to the action both on and off the field.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/author\/michael-brown\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Harold Fannin Jr. questionable for Steelers after practice groin injury, Browns tight end's status uncertain heading into Week 17","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Harold Fannin Jr. questionable for Steelers after practice groin injury, Browns tight end's status uncertain heading into Week 17","og_description":"…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/","og_site_name":"Red94","article_published_time":"2025-12-26T18:54:53+00:00","author":"Michael Brown","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Michael Brown","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/"},"author":{"name":"Michael Brown","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/58afe56b917c963c37d09aadbd8b892b"},"headline":"Harold Fannin Jr. questionable for Steelers after practice groin injury, Browns tight end’s status uncertain heading into Week 17","datePublished":"2025-12-26T18:54:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/"},"wordCount":494,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/53045-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin.jpg-scaled.png","articleSection":["Sport"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/","name":"Harold Fannin Jr. questionable for Steelers after practice groin injury, Browns tight end's status uncertain heading into Week 17","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/53045-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin.jpg-scaled.png","datePublished":"2025-12-26T18:54:53+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/53045-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin.jpg-scaled.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/53045-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin.jpg-scaled.png","width":1200,"height":678,"caption":"Harold Fannin Jr. questionable against Steelers as Browns tight end suffers groin injury in Friday practice"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/93368-harold-fannin-jr-questionable-against-steelers-as-browns-tight-end-suffers-groin\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Entertainment","item":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/entertainment\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Harold Fannin Jr. questionable for Steelers after practice groin injury, Browns tight end’s status uncertain heading into Week 17"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/","name":"Red94","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization","name":"Red94","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-Red94.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-Red94.png","width":289,"height":90,"caption":"Red94"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/58afe56b917c963c37d09aadbd8b892b","name":"Michael Brown","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/generateperf\/images\/icons\/avatar.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/generateperf\/images\/icons\/avatar.svg","caption":"Michael Brown"},"description":"Michael Brown is a seasoned sports journalist bringing years of experience covering professional athletics and sporting culture. With a keen eye for breaking stories and player dynamics, this veteran journalist delivers in-depth analysis and exclusive insights from the world's biggest sporting events. His passion for the game shines through in every story, keeping fans connected to the action both on and off the field.","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/author\/michael-brown\/"}]}},"views":89,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29389"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29389\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}