Cleveland Browns center Nick Harris' knee injury likely ends season

BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns starting center Nick Harris will likely need season-ending knee surgery, coach Kevin Stefanski said Saturday.

Harris injured his right knee on the second play of Friday's preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had to be carted off the field.

Ethan Pocic replaced Harris at center. Pocic started 40 games over five years for the Seattle Seahawks before signing with the Browns this offseason.

Harris was slated to be the lone new starter on the Browns' offensive line, replacing veteran JC Tretter, whom the team released in March.

The Browns drafted Harris in 2020 in the fifth round out of Washington. He made one start for Cleveland in each of the last two seasons at guard.

Tretter, president of the NFL Players Association, remains unsigned. The 31-year-old started all but one game, because of COVID-19, for the Browns the previous five seasons. Cleveland cleared $8.25 million against the salary cap by releasing him. Stefanski did not comment on the possibility of re-signing Tretter.