BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Cleveland Browns defensive end Za’Darius Smith was driven off the field in a cart on Monday after injuring his left knee during practice.
Smith, who had 5 1/2 sacks last season — his first with the Browns — appeared to get hurt during a red zone drill. As quarterback Deshaun Watson was scrambling, Smith got caught up in traffic while being blocked along the offensive line.
He left the field and grabbed his left knee while be examined by an athletic trainer. The 31-year-old Smith was hunched over and in obvious pain while sitting in the front passenger seat of the cart as he was taken to the training facility.
The Browns did not have immediate word on the injury for Smith, who was acquired last year in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings.
Smith had a major impact in 2023 for Cleveland’s defense, which finished ranked first overall before a rough playoff performance against Houston. On Sunday, Smith bemoaned missing several sack opportunities while playing opposite Myles Garrett, the reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year.
“This was something that I was talking to Myles about, last year I missed a lot of sacks,” he said. “I had a lot of opportunity to make sacks and I didn’t take that extra step, but this year for sure, I’m working on that to get better.
“I for sure want double-digit sacks, but it’s a team sport, so I just want the whole D-line and the whole defense and the whole team to be great. So it’s not all about me, but hopefully we can get double-digit sacks this year.”
A three-time Pro Bowler, Smith has 60 career sacks in nine seasons with Baltimore, Green Bay, Minnesota and Cleveland. He signed a two-year, $23 million contract in March.
Shortly before Smith got hurt, defensive end Sam Kamara left with an unspecified injury. He was escorted back to the facility by a trainer.
Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore remains sidelined with a concussion sustained last week while the team was in West Virginia.
Also, linebacker Jordan Hicks didn’t practice after getting hurt on Sunday. With Hicks out, the Browns are missing their top three linebackers — Hicks, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Tony Fields II.
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