Back in Week 15, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson delivered a take on star rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger that should resonate with Cleveland Browns fans.
Who does Schwesinger, Cleveland’s second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, remind Johnson most of on film? None other than former Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time Pro Bowler Luke Kuechly.
“He’s all over the place," Johnson said of Schwesinger. "Highly instinctive. Reminds me, I was with Luke Kuechly at Boston College — he reminds me a lot of Kuechly, just watching him on tape. You can’t fool him. He’s got good eyes, and he’s super fast."
That was quite the complement at the time, and if he can overcome the quad and ankle injuries he visibly played through during last week’s upset win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Schwesinger has a chance to do the craziest thing in Sunday's season finale.
Carson Schwesinger is on the brink of NFL history after brilliant rookie season
Entering Week 18 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Schwesinger sits just two tackles shy of D’Quell Jackson for the most total tackles by any Browns defender in a single season; Jackson's mark was 158 during the 2011 season.
It doesn’t stop there, either: The former UCLA standout sits just nine tackles shy of passing Kuechly on the NFL's all-time rookie list. Kuechly’s 164 tackles in 16 games for the Carolina Panthers in 2012 ranks No. 2 among rookies in NFL history; Schwesinger’s current 156 tackles in 16 games ranks tied with Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans (2006) for No. 4 all-time.
All-time total tackles by a rookie:
— SleeperBrowns (@SleeperBrowns) January 1, 2026
1. '07 Patrick Willis (SF): 174, 16 games
2. '12 Luke Kuechly (CAR): 164, 16 games
3. '13 Kiko Alonso (BUF): 159, 16 games
4. '06 DeMeco Ryans (HOU): 156, 16 games
-'25 Carson Schwesinger (CLE): 156, 15 games#DawgPound pic.twitter.com/x0JhkfOwGG
Schwesinger’s per-game pace has been remarkable, as he had a string of seven consecutive games with 10-plus total tackles snapped against the Steelers in Week 17. That was at least partly due to a rolled ankle that left him clearly limping in and out of the huddle; it didn’t stop him from playing 100 percent of Cleveland’s defensive snaps and finishing with nine total tackles in the game.
Health concerns could be Schwesinger’s biggest obstacle on Sunday. He missed practice on both Wednesday and Thursday this week, and while his toughness was on full display against the Steelers, how his body responds will be telling on Friday's official Browns injury report.
It’s safe to assume that he’ll do everything in his power to be on the field against Joe Burrow and the Bengals. Schwesinger would need the full 17-game format to get there, but Sunday could still be a pretty significant capstone to one of the greatest rookie seasons in franchise history.