The Cleveland Browns suffered a significant blow on the defensive side of the ball during Tuesday's practice session, as projected starter Martin Emerson Jr. went down with an injury.
This is where the "next man up" philosophy comes into play. To be honest, one of Emerson's teammates could use an opportunity to showcase what he can contribute to the franchise's success, as he is entering a contract year.
Now that the medical staff has evaluated the veteran, the official word from the franchise isn't good. Kevin Stefanski passed along the unfortunate news while meeting with the media on Wednesday morning that Emerson Jr. will be sidelined for the entire 2025 season after rupturing his Achilles.
Kevin Stefanski confirms MJ Emerson will have surgery on ruptured left Achilles & will be out for season.
— Tony Grossi (@TonyGrossi) July 30, 2025
Browns' Greg Newsome Could Save Cleveland Career After Latest News
The Cleveland Browns selected Greg Newsome with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and are still waiting for the former Northwestern Wildcats standout to have the type of breakthrough season that fans and coaches expected out of him by now.
This past season, Newsome appeared in 13 games and set a new career-low for total tackles with 27. He did reel in one interception, though, giving him a career total of three over 54 games played with the Browns.
With Newsome's name being subject to trade rumors for quite some time, the opportunity to prove he was worthy of being selected by Cleveland as high as he was in the draft is at his doorstep. It could be the last chance he has to do so as a member of the Browns, as he is set to hit unrestricted free agency following the 2025 campaign.
Newsome is coming off a season in which Pro Football Focus ranked him in the lower half of eligible cornerbacks concerning his pass rush grade, rush defense grade, and coverage grade. The former first-round pick must show he is capable of putting it all together, or he runs the risk of looking back on his time in Cleveland and wondering what he could have done differently to make a greater impact.
If Newsome was ever going to show his true worth to the Browns' coaching staff and front office, the time is now.