BEREA, OHIO — Martin Emerson Jr., the starting cornerback for the Browns, talked before practice about the importance of doing a lot of introspection throughout the offseason in order to return to his peak playing form.
On Day 6 of the Browns training camp, he was being carried off the practice field in tears by the afternoon due to what looked to be a major injury to his lower left leg.
During a 7-on-7 red zone practice, Emerson was covering Diontae Johnson down the deep left side when he collapsed in pain after what appeared to be a non-contact injury.
He screamed in agony as he grabbed at the back of his left leg and tore off his helmet, throwing it aside. As he was being carried away, he straightened his leg back out after bending it for a minute while sitting on the cart.
This is the play on which MJ Emerson was injured. When Diontae Johnson fell down, Emerson appeared to be covering him up the field.IATWgOlore @[email protected]
Emerson writhed in agony and broke down in tears as he was surrounded by teammates and coach Kevin Stefanski, some of whom knelt and prayed.
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Following practice, the Browns did not immediately provide an update.
He needed assistance getting on the cart because he couldn’t bear any weight on his left leg. He winced and grimaced the whole time, and when he was carried inside the fieldhouse, he sobbed on the cart with a towel over his head.
His closest pals in the defensive back room, Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II, and Cam Mitchell, were among the team members who approached him one by one to offer consolation. Stefanski followed suit, as did Bubba Ventrone, special teams coordinator.
A tearful Martin Emerson Jr. is being carried away after suffering a serious injury to his lower left leg.image.twitter.com/Mtu9nZ6nY1
Hours before, Emerson discussed his offseason experiences to prepare his head for the return at his podium press conference.
“Honestly, I just did a lot of soul searching this offseason,” he added. It was the hardest year I’ve ever had, both personally and as a team. To place myself in the best possible position for both my family and my team, I just went into the lab and worked nonstop.
Last season, Emerson was on the verge of a Pro Bowl run, but injuries put a stop to it. He promised to do everything in his power to bounce back this season after not having the season he had hoped for.
“I would say that I have always faced adversity throughout my career, but it was a lot of adversity, man,” he remarked. My body simply wasn’t surviving as well as it had in the past few years, and it was something new every week. And I’ll probably answer that it would have to do with the training I engaged in during the offseason.
Emerson claimed to have put a lot of effort into honing his technique and to be eager for the season. The Browns may now need to move Cam Mitchell to the third cornerback position and start Greg Newsome II outside.
BrownsIn the 7/7 drill, Martin Emerson Jr. was taken out due to a very painful injury to his left leg. It was horrible, and he realized it immediately.ueYy1z5Sse pic.twitter.com/
“I feel like I’m the best player in the game when I play my technique,” he remarked. Easily one of them, for sure. A receiver, in my opinion, never truly outperforms us. No one in our room ever actually beats us, for example. As a result, we already know what went wrong when we lose a play. It’s simply relying on the method and following it each and every time.
On Tuesday, Stefanski expressed his confidence that Emerson would bounce back this season.
“He has the right mindset,” Stefanski remarked. He will recover this year. He has put in a lot of work. I genuinely have faith in the young man.
Brandon Lynch, the cornerbacks coach, commended Emerson’s will to bounce back.
What do you know? Lynch stated on Monday that things do happen. He is a young athlete who prioritizes the team, is deeply committed to our work, and finds it significant when I say things like that. Men like that really start to rise quickly once you have a young player like that who is getting more exposure and seeing more repetitions on task.
Emerson, a 2022 third-round selection by the Browns from Mississippi State, had a good second season, starting 12 of 16 games and catching four receptions. Although Emerson’s interceptions were a team-high and raised hopes for the previous season, the injuries caused him to regress somewhat.
Last season, he recorded 80 tackles, including 62 solo, while starting 15 of 17 games opposite Ward. Additionally, he finished with five passes defensed, which tied him for second place on the team after Ward (19). He intended to make up for his inability to build on his four picks this season.
We’ll be updating this post.
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