Nobody roots for injuries, even if it's a player from a rival team that goes down. As the Pittsburgh Steelers continue the second week of training camp, the Cleveland Browns are dealing with a blow to their defensive backfield.
On Wednesday, ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported that Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced that cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. has been diagnosed with a torn Achilles tendon. Emerson started 15 of 17 games last season as the right cornerback in Cleveland's secondary.
Though Emerson is coming off a down season that included 701 yards and five touchdowns allowed, the 24-year-old CB and former third-round pick has been impressive at times early in his NFL career. The Mississippi State product is nearly 6'2'' and 201 pounds with 33 1/2'' arms and an aggressive demeanor.
This injury loss decimates a secondary that is already hurting for cornerback depth.
With Denzel Ward, Martin Emerson, and Greg Newsome II, the Browns had a respectable trio of cornerbacks. Now that Emerson is out for the year, Newsome may be forced to move from the slot to the boundary, causing a massive ripple effect on the secondary.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were just reminded how important it is to have strong CB depth
The Pittsburgh Steelers are no strangers to having thin cornerback rooms. That's been the case with this team for a long time. However, during the 2025 offseason, general manager Omar Khan made it a point not to find himself in a situation where he needs to call upon a James Pierre-level player.
Last season, Donte Jackson and Cory Trice Jr. each missed multiple games with injuries (Trice missed an 11-game stretch in the middle of the season), and the Steelers were forced to call upon their underwhelming cornerback depth.
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This year, Khan loaded up in the secondary by signing veteran Darius Slay and trading for former All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey. If the Steelers were to find themselves in a similar situation as the Browns with a starting cornerback going down for the year (knock on wood), they suddenly have the depth to stomach a significant loss.
Let's hope that doesn't happen. The Cleveland Browns may be scrambling to try to find a replacement, as the Pittsburgh Steelers were just reminded of the importance of strong positional depth this time of year.