Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger has a Grade 1 ankle sprain from Sunday’s 17-12 loss to the New York Jets, the mildest form of the injury, Ian Rapoport reported Monday.
The diagnosis is close to the best result Cleveland could have hoped for. Schwesinger has not been ruled out for Sunday’s home game against the Baltimore Ravens, according to Rapoport, though whether he plays will depend on how the ankle holds up over the coming days. The Browns have not announced the injury or given a timeline of their own, and the first official word should arrive with the team’s practice report on Wednesday.
Rapoport added a striking detail: Schwesinger was already hurt when he produced one of Cleveland’s biggest defensive plays of the afternoon, a strip sack of quarterback Geno Smith. He also tried to keep playing on the ankle at one stage of the game.
#Browns star LB Carson Schwesinger suffered a Grade 1 ankle sprain in their loss against the #Jets, though the injury occurred before his strip sack of Geno Smith, sources say.
He is not ruled out for this week, though availability depends on how he responds. pic.twitter.com/jpB1zbAlQb
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 12, 2026
A defense built around him
Even on a sore ankle, Schwesinger was one of the busiest players on the field at MetLife Stadium. He finished with eight tackles, five of them solo, along with a sack, a tackle for loss, a pass defensed and a quarterback hit. Through five games he has 43 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble.
Cleveland made him the first selection of the second round in the 2025 draft, and he has been an every-down presence in the middle of the defense since. Losing him for any stretch would leave a clear hole in a unit that has kept the Browns competitive while the offense sputters. Deshaun Watson was sacked eight times on Sunday, and the Browns’ only touchdown came on a 29-yard pass to Denzel Boston that put them ahead 12-10 with 6:15 left. Braelon Allen answered with a 22-yard touchdown run three minutes later to win it for New York.
The loss dropped Cleveland to 3-2. The full box score is in the Game Center, and the latest designations across the league are on our injury page.
What comes next
The Browns host the Ravens on Sunday, October 18, at 1:00 p.m. EDT in a division game. Baltimore arrives at 4-1 after its overtime win in Atlanta, and the Ravens may also get Lamar Jackson back, which would make Schwesinger’s availability even more important for Cleveland. His practice participation on Wednesday and Thursday will be the clearest early signal.
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