A late-July Achilles tear cost cornerback Martin Emerson the entire 2025 season. It appears the injury will also end Emerson’s Browns tenure. The team is not expected to re-sign the free agent, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.
A third-round pick in 2022, Emerson came off the bench in 11 of 17 appearances as a rookie. He then took a starting job from Greg Newsome during a four-interception second season and continued in that role in 2024. Emerson did not pick off any passes that year, though, and Pro Football Focus ranked him a bottom-10 corner.
Despite Emerson’s struggles in his most recent healthy season, he started a career-high 15 games and led Browns corners in snap share (76.48%). A similar workload may have been in store had Emerson stayed healthy last year, especially with Newsome on the trade block at the time. The Browns pulled the trigger on a Newsome deal a couple of months later, sending him to Jacksonville in an October swap for fellow corner Tyson Campbell.
General manager Andrew Berry said he would “love to have [Emerson] back” in 2026, per Cabot, but he acknowledged it could be difficult because the Browns have two set starters at corner. Between the Jags and Browns, Campbell logged the second 17-start season of his five-year career. PFF ranked Campbell a solid 30th among 112 corners. He will continue opposite Denzel Ward, Emerson’s former running mate, next season.
Now eight months removed from a severe injury, Emerson is a free agent at an inopportune time. Assuming the 25-year-old lands another contract, it will be a low-cost deal.
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