By Rowan Fisher-ShottonShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Cleveland Browns lost one of their most productive defensive linemen Sunday when Maliek Collins was carted off in the third quarter of the team’s 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Collins had been a consistent interior pass-rush threat this season for the Browns, recording 25 combined tackles, seven tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery in 12 games.
He was also coming off one of his more dominant performances, posting three tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery in Cleveland's 24-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12.
Unfortunately, after being ruled out of the game on Sunday, head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed on Monday that Collins suffered a quad injury that will now require surgery, sidelining him for the remainder of the NFL season.
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A third-round pick in 2016, Collins has built a career as a reliable, disruptive interior lineman with starting stints in Dallas, Las Vegas, Houston, and San Francisco before signing with Cleveland in March of this year.
Over his career, he’s been able to generate pressure at an elite rate, totaling 264 combined tackles, 37 sacks, nine fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, and one interception across 148 career games.
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Sunday’s injury came in a game Cleveland needed to keep momentum in the AFC race, but the loss unfortunately dropped the Browns to 3-9 and three spots back of the division-leading Baltimore Ravens (6-6).
With Collins now out for the remainder of the year, Cleveland’s interior rotation will need to absorb his snaps, with veteran Shelby Harris and 2024 second-round pick Mike Hall Jr. as the logical short-term replacements.
Still, losing Collins removes both a run-stopper and an interior pass-rusher who had been collapsing pockets and helping generate the Browns’ high sack total.
Looking ahead, Cleveland will host Tennessee, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh and travel to Chicago and Cincinnati — a slate of strong rushing attacks that will immediately test the Browns’ ability to replace Collins.
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