Some players soak up all of the headlines, while others simply keep stacking up production week after week. In Cleveland this season, the attention has gone to the quarterback debate, Jared Verse’s comments and the Browns’ rookie receivers. Lost in all of that noise is a player who has quietly been one of the most reliable pieces on the roster. Carson Schwesinger deserves a lot more credit than he has been getting.
The numbers through 9 games make that case on their own.
Schwesinger has 89 combined tackles this season, an average of nearly 10 per game. He has hit double digits in 5 of the Browns’ 9 games, and he is on pace for more than 165 tackles over a full season. He has also added 3 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, 4 quarterback hits and 3 forced fumbles.
Those forced fumbles stand out. Schwesinger did not force a single fumble as a rookie, and he already has 3 this year, including one in the 13-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens and another in Sunday’s game in New Orleans.
His performance against the Saints may have been his best yet. Schwesinger finished with 15 tackles, 10 of them solo, along with 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, 2 quarterback hits and a forced fumble. The Browns lost 23-22 in overtime, but the defense would not have kept them in the game without him.
What makes the production even more impressive is that he has not been healthy. Schwesinger has been playing through wrist and ankle injuries for weeks and was limited in practice throughout last week. He still has not missed a game.
I’m convinced Carson Schwesinger plays harder than any player in the nfl. You can’t coach effort! pic.twitter.com/r9p1co2ZB2
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) November 1, 2026
This is not new for him, either. The Browns took him with the 33rd overall pick in 2025 out of UCLA, and he responded with 156 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and 2 interceptions on his way to winning AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Through 25 career games, he already has 245 tackles and 5.5 sacks.
Part of the reason he gets overlooked is the position. Linebackers who rack up tackles rarely get the same spotlight as pass rushers or cornerbacks. Verse arrived in the Myles Garrett trade with plenty of fanfare, and Denzel Ward is one of the best defensive backs in the NFL. Yet Schwesinger has 3 more sacks than Verse this season while playing off the ball.
He has also been a steady presence for a defense going through a rough stretch. The Browns have allowed 501 rushing yards over their last 3 games, and Schwesinger has been the one cleaning up a lot of those plays.
At just 23 years old, he is already one of the cornerstones of Mike Rutenberg’s defense. The Browns host the Houston Texans on Sunday, and Schwesinger will be in the middle of it again.
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