The status of Browns receiver Joe Jurevicius continues to be unclear.

Over the weekend, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Jurevicius plans to return to the field despite undergoing a fourth knee surgery on July 1.  The most recent procedure was the third attempt to clean out staph infection resulting from normally routine arthroscopic surgery.

Per the Plain Dealer, there is no truth to rumors that Jurevicius needs microfracture surgery, a coin-flip procedure aimed at stimulating scar tissue development that then simulates the performance of missing cartilage.

But we continue to hear that Jurevicius is done, and that he’s privately saying he won’t be back.

So what’s with the report in the Plain Dealer?  It could be that the Browns are putting out phony information about the situation in order to squeeze a better deal out of the Chargers for Eric Parker, who remains on the trading block.  If the Browns can perpetuate the notion that they don’t really need a replacement for Jurevicius, then the Chargers might not hold firm in whatever they’re demanding for Parker. 

Regardless, the broader point here is that the staph infection problem in Cleveland has not been solved, and we wonder when if ever the franchise and its medical providers will make a meangingful effort to solve the problem, which will continue to force the Browns to overpay free agents in order to persuade them to assume the risk of extended absences from the field, amputation, and/or death.