Cleveland Browns Receive Major Injury Update on Defensive Star

The Cleveland Browns received big injury news on the defensive side of the football.

Nov 5, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99) sacks Arizona Cardinals quarterback Clayton Tune (15) during the second half at Cleveland Browns Stadium. / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Browns are preparing for their second preseason game this weekend against the Minnesota Vikings.

Over the last couple of days, the two teams have been holding joint practices. A lot of good things have come out of the joint practice period for the Browns.

Not only did good things happen on the field, but Cleveland received some great news off of the field on the injury front as well.

As shared by the Browns, Za'Darius Smith was able to return to practice on Thursday. He had been held out since August 5th due to a knee contusion.

Now, he'll be able to get back on the field and get ready for the start of the regular season.

Kevin Stefanski opened up and talked about how happy he was to see Smith back on the practice field.

"Good to see Za'Darius back out there. I mean, he was out there yesterday, you heard him. But it was good to have him in pads."

Smith was a key part of the Cleveland defense during the 2023 season as well. He ended up playing in 16 games, racking up 27 total tackles to go along with 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and three defended passes.

At 31 years old, Smith is still a more than capable playmaker. He's an elite pass-rusher and provides a lot of support across from Myles Garrett.

If the Browns want to compete for a spot in the playoffs this season or even for the AFC North title, they will need a healthy Smith wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks.

Obviously, this is great news for Cleveland. Now, they just need to keep everyone healthy heading towards Week 1.