Browns rookie defensive end Myles Garrett has been diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain and his status will be updated in a couple of weeks, the team announced Thursday morning.
So Garrett will sit out Sunday's regular-season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium. He'll also miss at least the next game, Sept. 17 at the Baltimore Ravens.
Garrett, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, injured his right ankle during Wednesday's practice and didn't finish the session. The injury occurred when Garrett was engaged with another player during a team drill and someone fell on the side of his lower right leg.
He suffered a left lateral foot sprain June 14 in mandatory minicamp but returned in time for the start of training camp July 27. He also dealt with a left high-ankle sprain last season at Texas A&M.
In college, Garrett had 11.5 sacks as a freshman and 12.5 sacks as a sophomore. But the high-ankle sprain he suffered last year as a junior caused his production to dip, and he finished with 8.5 sacks. He missed two games with the injury, then pushed through it during the second half of the season.
High-ankle sprains typically require four to six weeks of recovery. Surgery is rarely necessary for high-ankle sprains, and the Browns do not expect Garrett's injury to require surgery.
Losing Garrett, the starting right defensive end, is obviously a devastating blow to the Browns as they try to rebound from last season's 1-15 debacle. They drafted him to transform their defense, and he had an outstanding training camp and preseason, becoming a regular visitor in the backfield and compiling three tackles, including a sack.
With Garrett sidelined, either Carl Nassib or Nate Orchard will start in his place opposite left end Emmanuel Ogbah. Orchard is listed behind Garrett at right end on the team's unofficial depth chart.
The Browns also signed defensive end Tyrone Holmes on Thursday morning and waived backup offensive tackle Zach Sterup. Holmes had an impressive preseason with the Browns, compiling nine tackles, including two sacks, and a forced fumble, before being waived Sunday. Holmes appeared in 11 games with the Browns last season and registered five tackles, including a sack.
