Cleveland Browns cornerback E.J. Gaines returned to practice on Sep. 6, just 18 days removed from what was feared to have been a significant preseason knee injury.
Gaines, 26, escaped with a few weeks on the shelf after being carted off the team’s Berea training facility field on Aug. 19.
The 26-year-old cornerback joined the Browns this offseason and figured to be a large part of the team’s defensive backfield rotation, and he still should be once he returns. But that return likely will not be in Week 1 as the Browns’ matchup with Pittsburgh at FirstEnergy Stadium is just three days.