Browns Second-Round Pick Grant Delpit Suffers Achilles Injury

Add Grant Delpit’s Achilles tendon to the already-too-long list of Browns’ injury concerns. 

Delpit, the Browns’ second-round pick in April’s NFL draft, was carted off the practice field Monday after suffering an Achilles injury, making him the fourth key player to suffer an injury scare since the Browns started practicing on Aug. 14. NFL Network reported Delpit would undergo an MRI Monday night to determine how severe of an injury he suffered. 

The injuries started with Nick Chubb’s concussion last Tuesday. Chubb has since returned to practice, but the injury still startled the Browns enough to prompt a conversation between Coach Kevin Stefanski about keeping teammates safe in practice. Mack Wilson’s rough tackle contributed to Chubb’s injury. 

Wilson left the practice field with a hyperextended knee the next day. Cleveland.com reported that Wilson “definitely has a chance” of returning this season, but Wilson is still expected to miss significant time. The Browns signed former Super Bowl MVP Malcom Smith on Sunday as Wilson insurance. 

Defensive back Kevin Johnson was hospitalized with a lacerated kidney on Thursday. And if those injuries weren’t enough of a health scare, the Browns closed and re-opened their Berea headquarters within several hours on Sunday due to a batch of false positive tests for COVID-19. 

When they resumed their normal schedule on Monday, Delpit went down. According to veteran safety Andrew Sendejo, Delpit was playing well in camp before suffering his injury. 

“He is learning things quick,” Sendejo said Saturday. “He is doing well for a rookie. Excited to have him here.”

Delpit last spoke to the media on Aug. 14. He told reporters that he’d spent the four months since the draft concentrating on his health. Delpit suffered from a high-ankle sprain for much of his senior season at LSU ((he won the 2019 Jim Thorpe Award given to the nation’s best defensive back, anyway). 

“The number one thing I had to do is get all the way (healthy) 100 percent,” Delpit said. “I was working out every day and trying to get right because I know once we get here, it will be full speed 100 percent. I was able to do that and get my body right, and I am great.”

The Browns hope Delpit’s scare at Monday’s practice was only that. They spent a high draft pick on him hoping he could contribute to the Browns’ defense immediately. Stefanski said the Browns plan to use a third safety more often this season.

The Browns’ secondary is already managing its fair share of injuries. Defensive backs Greedy Williams (shoulder) and M.J. Stewart (hamstring) also left practice with injuries on Monday. Johnson, Karl Joseph (foot) and Terrance Mitchell (knee) were already sidelined. 

Delpit will probably be sidelined as well after Monday’s injury. He and the Browns will await his MRI results to learn how long.