A scare that turned out milder than it looked
Mason Graham walked out of the Browns locker room on crutches Thursday night, a brace strapped to his left knee. A few hours ago, the MRI result came back with better news. The Cleveland defensive tackle has an MCL sprain and an ankle sprain, and he is expected to miss “a few weeks,” according to a report that points to optimism that the injury is not long term.
Graham got hurt in the first quarter of the Browns’ 27-24 win over the Steelers. Cleveland played the remaining three quarters without him, blew an 11-point lead along the way and still found a way to rally past Pittsburgh. The win was costly, though, because the player they lost leads the team in sacks this season.
no renewal
Free for 2 weeks.
The numbers behind the loss
Graham has four sacks through four starts, the most on the roster. He has also piled up 15 tackles and five quarterback hits. That is a sharp jump for a 23-year-old who went fifth overall in the 2025 draft and finished his rookie year with half a sack and 49 tackles across 17 starts, plus four passes defensed.
His second season has looked like the return Cleveland wanted when it spent a top-five pick on him. Now the production is on hold for the near future.
What it changes in Cleveland
A few weeks can mean anywhere from two to four games, and the Browns have no timeline beyond that phrase. The report did not include any comment from team officials or medical staff, so the exact return date remains open. What is clear is that Cleveland has to find pressure elsewhere while its sack leader heals.
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