General manager Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns found a free agent diamond in the rough in Maliek Collins, a 30-year-old journeyman who has been playing at a Pro Bowl level alongside Myles Garrett on the Browns’ defensive line this season.
Collins’ future in Cleveland is now in some doubt, after head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed a season-ending quad injury that will require surgery.
The ramifications for the final five games of this season should be minimal. At 3-9, the Browns have already clinched their second straight losing season, and fourth in five years. Veteran Shelby Harris will likely take on a larger share of the snaps inside, with rookie Adin Huntington a candidate to get extended looks down the stretch.
More concerning now is 2026, when Collins will enter the final year of the two-year, $20 million contract that he signed back in March coming off a significant injury.
Maliek Collins’ trajectory in Cleveland just changed in the blink of an eye
The lasting image from Cleveland’s 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday — aside from some extracurricular activity — was players from both sides consoling Collins as he was taken off the field on a cart.
Collins was having a career year for the Browns, grading out as the No. 2 interior pass rusher in football, per Pro Football Focus. Collins finished the year with 28 QB pressures, 6.5 sacks, and 19 run stuffs, and was looking like a legitimate extension candidate for Berry to consider in the offseason.
Stefanski didn’t provide much of an update after Sunday’s game, but Garrett’s reaction to reporters on Collins’ injury definitely prepared fans for the worst.
“He’s been amazing. He’s done a great job. As far as his trajectory, he was going to have a double-digit sack season, which he had yet to do. It sucks seeing him go down, and just hurts seeing that look on his face. Just disappointed knowing he’s got so much left for the year and giving more to this team. So we’re behind him 100 percent. We’re going to support him however we can.”
The Browns could use an infusion of young talent up front on both sides of the ball, even after using the No. 5 overall pick on defensive tackle Mason Graham last year. The most likely path forward is to continue building the trenches through the draft, while allowing Collins to get back healthy in 2026 and prove he’s still worth a second contract.
Collins started his career as a third-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2016 and has also spent time with the Raiders, Texans and 49ers, before joining the Browns as a free agent this year.
The fit in Jim Schwartz’s defense this season was undeniable. Even with the unfortunate injury setback, Collins feels like a player that will remain in Cleveland’s long-term plans, but he'll likely have to do it in a de factor prove-it year.