Four weeks in, Carson Schwesinger is already proving something to the Browns
Few, if any, rookies have been as positively impactful to their team as Carson Schwesinger through four weeks of the 2025 NFL campaign. It hasn't necessarily shown up in the win-loss column just yet, but the Cleveland Browns' burgeoning linebacker has been a legitimate difference-maker from the jump.
Schwesinger's immediate contributions are one of the notable reasons the Browns boast arguably the best defense in football. He's wasted no time settling into an every-down role, proving capable of handling a significant workload and dominating with it. Albeit a small sample size, the Browns seemingly found a long-term mainstay with the No. 33 overall pick in this year's draft.
Browns rookie LB Carson Schwesinger looks like a star in the making
Pro Football Focus (PFF) lists Schwesinger as the third-highest-graded player among his newcomer classmates thus far with a high-quality 84.1 overall mark ($). If there's one area he's been average yet satisfactory in, it's pass rushing. Nevertheless, the Browns have been willing and able to lean on him in every facet of the game.
Whether Schwesinger is disrupting the opposing quarterback, stopping the run or dropping back in coverage, he has fared well, displaying tremendous versatility. The former UCLA standout even returned to his special teams roots that landed him a walk-on opportunity with the Bruins. Talk about a total package and a jack of all trades.
At this rate, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski may ask Schwesinger to master plumbing and help with some yard work. The latter's do-it-all skill set gives Cleveland a chess piece it can move around the formation. Browns perennial Defensive Player of the Year shortlist candidate Myles Garrett spotlights an ace in the hole like this by simply existing, and it's shown.
Oddsmakers give Schwesinger the third-shortest betting odds to earn Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, and rightfully so. Approximately a quarter of the way through his first season as a pro, he has 31 tackles (two for loss), two quarterback hits and a sack. Keeping him off the final voting ballot will be difficult if this continues, and that could only be the beginning of the awards and recognition.
Cleveland did an excellent job of adding young talent this past offseason, identifying several prospects with the potential to be franchise players. Schwesinger has perhaps been the most impressive of the bunch, flashing immense upside in his early Browns career.
Former Lions DC Facing Heat Due to Poor Play: 'Same Old Jets'
Former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is finding life away from Motown quite difficult.
On Monday Night, in a primetime contest against the winless Miami Dolphins, the New York Jets were undisciplined and left Hard Rock Stadium with a record of 0-4 to start the 2025 NFL season.
Glenn's team had far too many turnovers and costly penalties that contributed to a 27-21 loss.
"When it comes to the game today, very disappointed," Glenn said, via Jets OnSI. "I'm very disappointed and there's no way you can win any game with 13 penalties and three turnovers. It just can't happen. But, what we have to do is go back to work. It's the only way we can fix it. Really take a look at these penalties. Take a look at these turnovers and make sure that we understand that before we can win games, we have to learn how not to lose games. We have to do a better job in that case and we will. We will. The only way to do that is to go back to work and that's what we have to do."
Currently, Glenn's squad is one of two team's the AFC that has yet to experience a victory early in the 2025 season. The other is the Tennessee Titans.
Sauce Gardner expressed his frustrations, noting that officials are making calls against his team because they are a losing franchise.
“I’m personally frustrated. I feel like me personally, us not winning. I watch football all the time and I just feel like, I don’t know if this is wrong to say, but I think I get called for more stuff just based off of us and just not winning," said Gardner. "I watch these winning programs, and it’d be some egregious things, and it don’t get called letting the players play.”
Glenn spent his first training camp with the Jets preaching discipline and playing a clean brand of football. Unfortunately, the Jets have been on the wrong side of the turnover tally.
"It just can't happen. What we have to do is go back to work, that's the only way we can fix it," Glenn said. "We have to understand before you can win games, you have to learn how not to lose games."
The Jets next face the Cowboys, who are looking to get back on track after only producing a tie against Packers in Week 4.
Here is a sample of the reaction to the Jets losing to the Dolphins on Monday Night Football.
