Getty Images Head coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns will be without a key contributor on defense Sunday when they open the season against former QB Baker Mayfield and the Carolina Panthers.
Cornerback Greedy Williams pulled up lame with a hamstring injury during practice on Wednesday, September 7. The issue limited him that day and held him out of Thursday’s session entirely. On Friday came the news that the injury-prone defender was headed to the injured reserve list (IR), where he will reside for at least the first quarter of the regular season.
#Browns have placed CB Greedy Williams (hamstring) on IR, where he must remain for at least four games
“#Browns have placed CB Greedy Williams (hamstring) on IR, where he must remain for at least four games,” Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweeted Friday.
Browns Rookie CB Martin Emerson Jr. to Play More in Williams’ Stead
GettyCornerback Martin Emerson Jr. of the Cleveland Browns scores a TD against the Jacksonville Jaguars during a preseason game at TIAA Bank Field on August 12, 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
There was some question earlier this preseason as to whether Williams would earn a starting job with the Browns’ first-string base defense. Though, as camp progressed, it became clear that CB Greg Newsome II would start on the outside opposite Pro Bowler Denzel Ward, with Williams slotted in as one of the first defensive backs to be called upon for nickel and dime packages.
However, rookie Martin Emerson Jr. has already made his mark and was in a position to challenge Williams for snaps before the latter landed on the IR Friday. It is now clearly Emerson upon whom Cleveland will rely to pick up the slack in Williams’ absence.
The third-round draft pick out of Mississippi State amassed seven tackles and one pass defensed over the course of the Browns’ three preseason games. He also intercepted a pass, which he ran back for a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Greedy Williams’ Long Injury History Puts Future With Browns in Peril
Getty ImagesCornerback Greedy Williams of the Cleveland Browns defends against wide receiver A.J. Green of the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter of a game on October 17, 2021.
If he can continue to perform as he has since arriving in Cleveland, Emerson has a good chance of usurping Williams on the depth chart, particularly because of Williams’ long history of injuries.
The Browns drafted the cornerback in 2019, after which he immediately got off on the right foot and ended up starting all 12 games he appeared in that season. Williams sustained his first serious injury the following preseason, damaging a nerve in his shoulder during practice and ultimately missing the entire 2020 campaign.
Since then, Williams has been sidelined at various times for heat exhaustion, a groin pull, an undisclosed injury earlier this summer and now a hamstring problem. The former second-round pick is entering his fourth year in the NFL, after which his contract will expire and he will hit unrestricted free agency.
Whether the Browns will bring Williams back probably now depends upon his ability to stay healthy and contribute beyond Week 4 of the season. To this point in his career, Williams has appeared in 28 games, starting in 20 of those contests. Over that span, Williams has logged 88 total tackles, including two tackles for loss, defensed 12 passes, made two interceptions and forced one fumble, per Pro Football Reference.