BEREA, Ohio — When the Cleveland Browns face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, they'll do without one of their top defensive backs. Ahead of practice on Wednesday, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced that cornerback Greg Newsome II will miss Sunday's Week 4 matchup after suffering a calf injury in Cleveland's 26-6 victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 3.
According to Stefanski, Newsome's injury isn't so severe that the Browns plan on placing him on injured reserve, which would require to rookie cornerback to miss at least Cleveland's next three games. The Browns' second-year head coach officially deemed Newsome as "week-to-week" and was unsure at what point during Cleveland's win vs. the Bears he suffered the injury.
Selected with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, it hasn't taken long for the Northwestern product to find a home in the Browns' defense. Starting opposite Denzel Ward through the first three weeks of the season, the 21-year-old Newsome has totaled seven tackles and two pass defenses while earning a 70.1 grade per Pro Football Focus.
With Newsome sidelined, third-year cornerback Greedy Williams will make his return to the Browns' starting lineup after missing the entirety of the 2020 season with a shoulder injury. Through Cleveland's first three games this season, the 2019 second-round pick has played just 16 total defensive snaps after starting 12 games for the Browns during his rookie season two years ago.
In Minnesota, Cleveland's secondary could have its hands full facing one of the NFL's top receiving duos in Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. Through three games, Jefferson and Thielen have combined to catch 41 passes for 435 yards and six touchdowns.