Cleveland Browns starting cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. suffered an Achilles injury at Tuesday's practice," according to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. He'll undergo imaging to determine the full extent of the injury but the expectation is it's a significant tear.
Emerson, who was having a productive camp, is heading into a contract year. He was slotted to be one of the Browns' starting cornerbacks. Nickel corner Greg Newsome , Cameron Mitchell and Tony Brown II are candidates to replace Emerson in the starting lineup.
Emerson was covering Diontae Johnson down the deep left side in a 7-on-7 red zone drill when he went down in agony with a left Achilles injury, according to Cleveland.com . Emerson, who was noticeably emotional, covered his head with a towel as he was being carted off. He had no weight on his left leg as he was helped to the cart.
Emerson was a third-round pick by the Browns in 2022. He has appeared in 50 games and made four interceptions in his three seasons.
In 2024, Emerson started in 15 games and recorded a career-high 80 tackles.
Emerson ranked low among qualifying cornerbacks last year, according to Pro Football Focus. His overall grade was 47.9 and his coverage grade was 48.4. His overall mark was 72.5 as a rookie and 63.2 in 2023.
Emerson was looking to bounce back after a disappointing season. Unfortunately, it looks like he'll be sidelined for the entire 2025 season.
"I feel like there's a lot more in the tank, honestly," Emerson told Scott Petrak of Browns Zone this offseason. "I feel like I haven't reached my full potential. It's a year. It was a lot of growing pains, a lot of learning, a lot of lessons. And I know that it's going to make me a better player in the future and I'm just ready to get back to work. I'm actually heartbroken that the season is coming to an end and it's ending the way it is.
"And it's kind of hard when you're in the fire, all you see is the smoke."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Browns Starter Suffers Significant Injury
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