Defensive star injured at practice as Browns continue unnerving trend

Injuries happen to every team in the NFL but the Cleveland Browns have had more than their fair share. That's why their fans should be forgiven if their initial response to even the slightest injury is a bit of an overreaction. That might be the case on Thursday after Myles Garrett appeared to have tweaked his hamstring.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com said the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year was grabbing his left hamstring following a drill and took off his gloves. He stayed outside but was done for the day.

Garrett has been one of the most dominant defenders in the NFL but has had some issues with nagging injuries. While he's played in all but two games the past two years, he's been banged up often, most recently dealing with a shoulder injury to close out the 2023 campaign.

Injuries were the primary story all year for the Browns with Deshaun Watson, Nick Chubb, Jack Conklin, Dawand Jones, and Grant Delpit all on the IR to close the season. It's an alarming trend and hopefully, this injury isn't a bad omen for 2024.

Day of rest for Browns CB Denzel Ward

While Garrett's day ended early, another defensive star took the day off. Denzel Ward wasn't on the practice field as he received a day of rest.

It's important to note that this doesn't appear to be injury-related since Ward has battled his own durability issues throughout his career. In six years, he has yet to play a full schedule, with 15 games in 2021 being his max. In all, Ward has missed 20 games in his career.

He's talented enough that Cleveland still forked out a massive contract to keep him in town but they know it's a concern. That's why it's wise to give him the extra time off during the early portion of the offseason.

The Browns wrap up minicamp on Thursday and then break until training camp in late July. That will be at The Greenbrier in West Virginia, which was their home for camp in 2023 as well.

More Browns coverage