At this point, of all the players on the Cleveland Browns roster who no one really wanted to see go down with an injury, defensive lineman Mason Graham was probably at the top of the list. Graham has had a breakout showing here in the early part of his second season in the NFL, cashing in on some of the promise he showed as the rookie No. 5 pick last year. Graham has been among the best defensive lineman in the sport through three weeks, tallying 4.0 sacks, including 2.0 against the Panthers in Week 3.
Alas, midway through the second quarter on Thursday night in Cleveland, Graham got his leg tied up and twisted and remained on the ground for several moments. He got off the field under his own power, but after a brief examination by Browns doctors, Graham was led back to the locker room, which usually means a player’s night is over. And, indeed, Graham did not return to the game against the Steelers.
Sports Doc: Left Knee Injury ‘Concerning’
It will take some time and some MRIs for the Browns to give an official designation on Graham’s injury, but there is reason to worry about the team’s budding star lineman. Dr. Jesse Morse, whose Twitter/X bio describes him as specializing, “Health Optimization utilizing Peptides & Stem Cells. Board-certified: Sports & Family medicine,” frequently weighs in on preliminary diagnoses of prominent sports injuries.
He had this to say on Graham: “Mason Graham; Left knee injury; Not super clear but definitely concerning. I don’t like how his knee collapsed underneath him.”
The only good news for the Browns on the injury is that the Thursday night game will ensure that they get 10 days off before needing Graham again.
Browns’ Mason Graham a ‘Game-Wrecker’
Coming into the game, Graham was tabbed a player to watch for the Browns-Steelers matchup by ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky, who noted that the strength of the Steelers offense in the interior of the offensive line.
Speaking on “NFL Live” on ESPN, Orlovsky highlighted Steelers guard Mason McCormick and center Zach Frazier. But he also noted that Graham’s speed and athleticism gives them a serious challenge.
From Orlovsky: “Mason Graham, for Cleveland, is starting to play really good football. Pittsburgh, we talked about their offensive line, was so good this weekend against a player like Dexter Lawrence. I think two specific areas—how they handle Mason Graham and his quickness in the run game. I think that’s the thing that stood out. As an offensive person going against a defensive tackle that has this quickness laterally, side to side, it’s always, do we have to double-team him in the run game? …
“The second thing is, can we single-block him in the pass game or do we have to devote two people to him? Because even though Carolina did, with the athleticism and the twist of this stuff, he was a game-wrecker in many ways.”
Browns’ Mason Graham Gets ‘Concerning’ Outlook After Week 4 Injury