Browns lose DE Wright for season, sign Barnett

August 23, 2026 No Comments

Browns lose DE Wright (Achilles) for season, add DE BarnettplayBuffalo Bills vs. Cleveland Browns: Game Highlights (0:59)Daniel OyefusiAug 23, 2026, 12:41 PM ETClose

Daniel Oyefusi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN. Prior to ESPN, he covered the Miami Dolphins for the Miami Herald, as well as the Baltimore Ravens for The Baltimore Sun.

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BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns starting defensive end Alex Wright sustained a ruptured Achilles in Thursday’s joint practice with the Buffalo Bills, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday.

The Browns placed Wright on season-ending injured reserve and signed veteran pass rusher Derek Barnett, the team unveiled Sunday. Barnett’s deal is a one-year contract worth up to $5.5 million, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Wright sustained the injury while attempting to execute a pass rush against Bills offensive tackle Spencer Brown in a one-on-one drill. He later left practice on a cart.

Browns defensive end Alex Wright suffered a season-ending ruptured Achilles in a joint practice with the Bills on Thursday. AP Photo/David RichardWright, 25, recorded a career-high 5.5 sacks last season and signed a three-year, $33 million contract extension in November. The Browns were looking at Wright to step up, opposite two-time Pro Bowler Jared Verse, in the aftermath of the blockbuster offseason trade that sent Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams.

Barnett, 30, played with the Houston Texans last season, recording five sacks.

Cleveland was already scouring the edge rusher market before Wright’s injury. The Browns hosted Jadeveon Clowney and Za’Darius Smith on visits in recent weeks, but the veteran pass rushers opted to sign with the Texans and Atlanta Falcons, respectively.

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Isaiah McGuire is expected to start opposite Verse with Wright sidelined. McGuire has 5.5 career sacks over three seasons, including two sacks in 2025. In Cleveland’s preseason loss to the Bills on Saturday, third-year defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. started at defensive end, recording a sack.

Barnett had 12.5 sacks over three seasons in Houston and scored two touchdowns on fumble recoveries in 2024. The 2017 first-round pick by the Eagles had 21.5 sacks over seven seasons with Philadelphia and won a Super Bowl with the franchise in his rookie year.

ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime contributed to this report.