Cleveland Browns Add Veteran Defensive Lineman After Season-Ending Injury to Another

The Cleveland Browns are signing veteran defensive lineman Derek Barnett to a one-year deal.

Dec 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Derek Barnett (95) in action during the game against the Arizona Cardinals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cleveland Browns aren't done adding talent to the roster just yet.

After losing defensive lineman Alex Wright to a season-ending Achilles injury during a practice with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, the Browns are officially adding a veteran from free agency to take his place.

On Sunday, August 23, it was announced that Derek Barnett would be signing a one-year deal worth $5.5 million to join the Browns for the 2026 campaign. The 30-year-old edge rusher last played with the Houston Texans, finishing the 2025 season with 21 tackles, eight for a loss, 10 quarterback hits and five sacks.

Just two days before it was announced, Browns OnSI shared that Barnett would be a good fit in Cleveland, especially on a short-term deal.

Immediately, Barnett will have a chance to get on the field with a relatively young and inexperienced group around him. Not only will this give him the best chance at showing the league he still has something in the tank, but he also has an opportunity to grow as a leader and increase his value in that regard.

Having won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Phillies just a few seasons ago, Barnett brings knowledge of the grandest stage of them all and experience in big-time moments.

Across nine years of ball at the highest level of the game, Barnett has totalled 216 tackles, 57 for a loss, 104 quarterback hits and 34 sacks. He has also jumped on top of five fumbles, forcing five himself.

While Barnett joining the Browns is a major positive, especially after Wright's announcement, he wasn't the organization's first choice.

The front office had been actively scouting the market for edge rushers, bringing in both Jadeveon Clowney and Za'Darius Smith for workouts over the last few weeks. Clowney ended up signing a deal with the Texans, where Barrett last played, while Smith joined his previous head coach, Kevin Stefanski, in Atlanta.

The Browns' top four edge rushers will likely now see a combination of Jared Verse, Isaiah McGuire, Mike Hall Jr. and Barrett getting a good chunk of time on the field.

Hall Jr. has spent much of the last few seasons playing defensive tackle, but did get the nod at defensive end this past Saturday in the Browns' preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills.

There is a chance that Barnett gets his first taste of action as a Brown on Thursday, August 27, when the Browns play host to the New England Patriots from Huntington Bank Field for the preseason finale. The two sides clash at 8:00 p.m. EST.