The Cleveland Browns lost projected starting defensive end Alex Wright before the season even started, and they didn’t wait long to find his replacement.
Wright ruptured his Achilles tendon during a one-on-one rush against Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Spencer Brown in Thursday’s joint practice, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday, and the defensive end will miss the rest of the season. Wright was carted off the field immediately after getting hurt.
Thanks for the submission!
News of Wright’s injury triggered fan reactions on X.
•
“Will the Browns fans boo him when he returns?” one fan tweeted.
Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!
“Browns fans’ shock at every injury is so dumb. their team sucks regardless stop crying already,” another fan added.
“Hopefully they don’t boo him for getting injured,” a third fan commented.
Here are a few more reactions.
“Season hasn’t even started yet,” one fan wrote.
“Nooo this was gonna be his year,” another fan added.
“This guy hasn’t played more than 4 games in a season. Some people just aren’t cut out for this,” a fan tweeted.
Cleveland is placing Wright on injured reserve and moving on with Derek Barnett, a nine-year veteran the team is signing to a one-year deal worth up to $5.5 million, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Barnett spent the past three seasons with the Houston Texans after entering the league as a first-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017.
Wright, 25, signed a three-year extension worth $33 million in November after posting a career-high 5.5 sacks, and Cleveland had penciled him in as the starter opposite two-time Pro Bowler Jared Verse.
Barnett has 34 career sacks, 216 tackles and three defensive touchdowns across 112 games, and he won a Super Bowl with Philadelphia in 2017 before recording 12.5 sacks over three seasons in Houston.
Browns fans’ history with booing adds context to the Alex Wright question
Quarterback Deshaun Watson was booed repeatedly by the home crowd during Cleveland’s 31-7 preseason loss to Buffalo on Saturday; he called the reaction “disrespectful” and “personal” afterward.
Watson pointed to the same fan base cheering when he tore his Achilles in October 2024, his last appearance at home before Saturday. He went 5 of 12 for 36 yards with an interception in relief of Shedeur Sanders, who is competing with Watson for the starting job under Cleveland coach Todd Monken ahead of the Sept. 13 opener at Jacksonville.
Edited by Joseph Schiefelbein
