In 2021, Conklin started seven games while battling elbow and knee injuries. After returning from injured reserve for Week 12, he sustained a season-ending patellar tendon injury which required knee surgery and a strenuous recovery process.
During the 2022 offseason, Conklin spent the majority of his time rehabbing the knee injury at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. He was officially cleared to start and play every offensive snap in Week 3, when the Browns claimed a 29-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football, powered by 171 rushing yards with one touchdown.
Conklin has started every game this year since that date (11 total) and is a pivotal piece of a Browns unit that currently ranks fifth in the NFL (second AFC) in rushing yards per game (149.5), fourth (first AFC) with 18 rushing TDs (Eagles, 27; Cowboys 21; Lions 19), tied for fourth (second AFC) in runs for first downs (114), fourth (second AFC) in runs of 10+ yards (62) and first for runs of 20+ yards (18). Additionally, Cleveland has rushed for more than 150 yards in the first five games of the season for the third time in club history (1947, 2021), as well as three more contests (Week 10 at Miami; Week 11 at Buffalo; and Week 13 at Houston). The Browns eclipsed 170 rushing yards in all eight of those games, the most in the league through Week 14.
