Browns awaiting word on potential season-ending injury for starting linebacker Mack Wilson

The Cleveland Browns' coaching staff and front office are awaiting word on how long second-year starting linebacker Mack Wilson will have to miss after suffering a "significant" hyperextended knee during practice on Tuesday. Season-ending surgery could be needed, but at a minimum Wilson is expected to miss the first chunk of the regular season, which is just over three weeks away for Cleveland.

Wilson suffered the injury during a 7-on-7 period of practice in which he broke up a pass and injured the left knee as he came down. He was yelling in pain and clutching the knee. It was the second straight significant injury in practice for the Browns as running back Nick Chubb suffered a concussion on Monday – on a horse-collar tackle by Wilson.

New head coach Kevin Stefanski and more than a few players were not happy with that hit and Stefanski temporarily demoted Wilson to the second team. Chubb has no timetable for his return. Cleveland does have arguably the best No. 2 running back in the NFL in former league rushing king Kareem Hunt.

"We have to be smart," Stefanski said of Wilson's tackle. "We have a lot of work to do, and we are going to continue to have our pads on. We just have to make sure as a team that we get our work done and get it done while taking care of each other."

Wilson was the No. 155 overall pick out of Alabama – where he started just one season -- by the Browns in the 2019 NFL Draft, and guys picked that low usually aren't immediate starters, but Wilson won Cleveland's Maurice Bassett Award given to team's most outstanding rookie during training camp. Wilson would start the final 14 games of last year and was one of the better defensive rookies in the NFL.

He finished with 77 tackles (52 solo), one sack and one pick with seven passes defensed and was set to start at weakside linebacker again this season. If Wilson's injury requires surgery, his season is over. He is getting a second opinion and there should be word in the next day or two. Next man up likely would be Tae Davis. The Browns do currently have the most salary-cap space in the NFL if they wanted to go sign -- apparently it won't be Jadeveon Clowney -- or trade for someone. 

Cleveland is given an Over-Under win total of 8.5 this season with the Under a -120 favorite at William Hill sportsbook. They are +135 to end the AFC's longest playoff drought. The SportsLine Projection Model forecasts the Browns to win 8.6 games and with a 52 percent chance of the playoffs.

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