Before Carson Schwesinger ever took an NFL snap, the linebacker was already being compared to a potential Pro Football Hall of Famer. Now, with Luke Kuechly about to be inducted next month, and Schwesinger within range of his NFL record, the links will be impossible to avoid.
For his part, Schwesinger would like to put those thoughts on the back burner. Coming off his Defensive Rookie of the Year award, the 23-year-old is focused solely on his own game entering his second season.
Schwesinger recently got honest about his comparison to Kuechly, saying he’s only concerned with his day-to-day improvement.
“I think it’s always great to be compared to players you look up to, but, at the same time, I’ve played for a year. So really, the goal is just to keep stacking years, stacking days, and just trying to get better every day and show up in every game I play,” Schwesinger said.
#Browns Carson Schwesinger on being compared to Hall of Fame LB Luke Kuechly pic.twitter.com/zjIlF7MYB7
— Fred Greetham (@FredGreetham9) July 31, 2026
A second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Schwesinger exceeded even that special status in his first year. His 156 combined tackles threatened the NFL rookie record of 174, which was set by Patrick Willis of the San Francisco 49ers in 2007.
That has put Schwesinger in position to break Kuechly’s record for the most tackles by a player in his first two NFL seasons. A first-round pick at No. 9 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft, Kuechly had 320 combined tackles after the 2013 campaign.
The 165 tackles Schwesinger needs could be in reach, despite some significant changes on the Browns’ defense. Single-season sacks record-holder Myles Garrett was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, but replacement Jared Verse should be able to occupy some of the attention that was being given to the Defensive Player of the Year.
The Browns also added linebacker Quincy Williams, who had four straight 100-tackle seasons with the New York Jets, where new Cleveland coordinator Mike Rutenberg was his position coach. Rutenberg is seen as a perfect fit running a scheme very similar to the one used by former coordinator Jim Schwartz, so Schwesinger’s responsibilities should not change very much.
As he gets closer to the record, Schwesinger will consistently be mentioned in the same breath as Kuechly, starting with his Hall of Fame enshrinement on Aug. 8 and continuing through what the Browns hope will be an even better season for the highly regarded off-ball linebacker.
NEXT: Analyst Makes A Surprising Browns QB Roster Prediction For 2027
