Getty Images

Yes, the Browns fear a torn ACL for Brian Hoyer. That’s what pretty much every team fears any time a player injures a knee.

More specifically, the bad news for Hoyer is that (per a league source) the physical examination of his knee, including the joint manipulation that shows stability or lack thereof, points to a torn ACL.

The good news, if there is any, is that the manipulation of the knee suggests no other damage.

A Friday morning MRI is expected to “confirm” the ACL tear, per a league source. No other ligament damage is expected to be found.

In the end, the MRI provides the clearest picture. In many cases, including this one, it simply provides confirmation.

If the ACL is torn, Hoyer will undoubtedly have surgery and be placed on injured reserve. Technically, his season will end as the only Browns quarterback in franchise history to win his first three starts. Whether he has a fourth start in 2014 for the Browns becomes an unsettled question, at best.