The Cleveland Browns already had their work cut out for them, having to replace Myles Garrett on their defensive line. They were fortunate to acquire Jared Verse in that trade with the Los Angeles Rams, and on the other side, they had Alex Wright coming off the best season of his NFL career.
Unfortunately, Wright recently suffered his second season-ending injury since 2024. He ruptured his Achilles in a joint practice against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, and he has been placed on injured reserve.
Cleveland head coach Todd Monken recently reacted to losing the key Browns defender, saying that he will miss the attitude he brings to the unit.
“Obviously, we’re disappointed for Alex. And I would say in some ways I feel like I’ve grown a little bit close to Alex over the few months that we’ve been together. And he certainly brings a certain style of toughness to our defense that we will miss. But that’s the NFL and you do lose players. And I’m disappointed for him how hard he’s worked and what he brings to the table,” Monken said.
Wright was injured during a one-on-one pass rushing drill. The Browns were hopeful that he had only suffered a calf injury, but further examination revealed the Achilles tear.
A third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Wright missed three games last year, playing 14 and starting nine, but he still managed to post career highs with 5.5 sacks and 37 combined tackles. He signed a three-year contract extension worth $33 million during the season.
In 2024, Wright played in just four games before suffering a torn biceps injury that ended his season. For his career, he has played in 51 games with 15 starts, posting 98 combined tackles, 11.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss and 15 quarterback hits.
He was expected to form a dynamic tandem with Verse as the Browns look to replace the record-breaking 23.0 sacks Garrett posted last season. Cleveland was already looking for a veteran situational pass rusher, and in response to the loss of Wright, it signed Derek Barnett to a one-year, $5,5 million contract as a potential replacement.
The Browns will now be counting on even more development from defensive linemen Mike Hall Jr. and Isaiah McGuire, who have shown improvement during training camp. Veteran defensive tackle Maliek Collins is able to return to practice after coming off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
As with every NFL team facing injuries, it has to be next man up for the Browns, who will be challenged to remain one of the NFL’s elite defenses.
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