The Cleveland Browns will debut a new-look defense in their preseason opener on Saturday afternoon in Chicago, with Myles Garrett not part of the mix for the first time since 2017. In his place will be budding 25-year-old star Jared Verse, and as the Browns move forward with this new group–on both sides of the ball–youth will be the name of the game. And one of those bright young spots for this group is linebacker Carson Schwesinger, the team’s second-round pick from 2025.
Not only did Schwesinger record 156 tackles last year and pick off two passes, but he went down as the AP’s Defensive Rookie of the year, playing 16 impressive games. While Verse will replace Garret positionally and as one of the leaders, Schwesinger will join him as a new face-of-the-franchise type.
Thus far during training camp, though, there has been one issue with Schwesinger’s status as a fulcrum for the defense, and thus, for the Browns’ franchise as a whole: Schwesinger has not been practicing for most of the team’s time in Berea this summer.
Carson Schwesinger Has ‘Little Minor Injury’
What’s worrisome about it is that the Browns are not saying what, exactly, the issue with Schwesinger is. Coach Todd Monken called it a, “little minor injury” … but that was more than 10 days ago. Schwesinger has not been seen on the practice field since, and there is no word whether he will play in the preseason opener on Saturday in Chicago.
As the team’s website wrote, the Browns have mostly been healthy: “Over the course of the week, the Browns had a handful of players who did not participate in practice as they have dealt with injuries in different position groups. DT Maliek Collins was placed on active/PUP ahead of training camp, while players like C Parker Brailsford, CB Myles Bryant, FB Michael Burton, DT Kalia Davis, DT Mike Hall Jr., LB Carson Schwesinger and TE Joe Royer have missed time over the course of camp.”
Browns Not Worried About Star’s Injury?
Teams do not need to be specific on injuries during the preseason–they do once the real games begin–so the Browns have had no cause to say what’s going on with Schwesinger.
Tony Grossi, the team insider with ESPN Cleveland, said that Schwesinger has been working out, and that the Browns do not seem to think his ailment is a major one.
Said Grossi, on his “Daily Grossi” podcast: “My answer to this is always, if they’re not worried, I am not worried. We keep seeing him working out, in between, before practice, in the field house, while we are waiting for interviews. He’s not getting treatment on the trainer’s table constantly, he is on the field during practice, watching practice. When I see that type of situation, it feels like the player is close to coming back. I don’t know, I think he has missed about 10 practice so far.
“But they have not specified what injury he has, and they have not given off the vibe that they’re concerned.”
Odd, of course, for an injury that has kept one of the defense’s most important players out for two weeks to be something not to worry about. But that, it seems, is where the Browns are now.
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