Tyson Campbell Injury Looms, But Ward and Harden Are Keeping Browns’ Secondary Elite

The Cleveland Browns secondary has held opposing teams to 20-or-less in back-to-back games, even with the defensive back room banged up.

Sep 20, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Cleveland Browns cornerback Tyson Campbell (7) tackles Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cleveland Browns are 2-1 on a young 2026 campaign.

And after giving up a whopping 34 points in a Week 1 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the defense has turned things around. In a Week 2 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Browns held the Baker Mayfield-led offense to less than 200 passing yards and just 19 points.

Following up on such a strong performance, the Browns played host to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, downing them 21-18 in the home opener. Yet again, the passing game struggled for a team that had established it in weeks prior, as quarterback Bryce Young was held to 290 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

He had to throw the ball nearly 50 times to reach such numbers.

Sep 27, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) passes the ball under pressure from Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Maliek Collins (96) during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

And the crazy part is, the Browns' secondary is doing it while pretty banged up.

Defensive back Tyson Campbell, who has been questionable the last few weeks, missed Sunday's victory at home. Coming out of the Buccaneers game, he was dealing with ankle and hip injuries that kept wearing him down.

Fortunately, it seems he is progressing well.

"He was close to going [on Sunday] and I feel good about Thursday," head coach Todd Monken said on Monday.

Browns coach Todd Monken said he “feels good” about CB Tyson Campbell playing against the Steelers on Thursday night.

“He was close to going (on Sunday).”

— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) September 28, 2026

Campbell played a vital role in the Browns' defense last season, contributing 53 combined tackles across 12 games, all while snagging an interception and deflecting 12 passes. He also got involved in the pressure in the backfield, recording a tackle for a loss and a quarterback hit.

Without the 26-year-old, the Browns have had to lean on veteran leader Denzel Ward to play at his very best.

Against the Panthers, he was nearly perfect. Targeted twice by Young on 25 matchups, Ward allowed just one reception for 12 yards against wideout Tetairoa McMillan.

This shouldn't come as a surprise, though, as throughout his entire career Ward has been widely underrated in the conversation of football's best defensive backs, especially when in man coverage. Back in the 2024 campaign, he was the highest-rated cornerback by Pro Football Focus with a mark of 91.3 and forced the most incompletions with 15.

So, even with Campbell out, Cleveland's secondary isn't missing a beat with Ward helping cover some of the league's top receivers.

Jul 29, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward (21) and wide receiver Isaiah Bond (0) go for a pass during training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Along with Ward, Myles Harden has also taken a big leap the last two weeks, helping fill the needed quality snaps Campbell has left behind.

Through 3 weeks, the #Browns boast two Top 5 CB’s in the #NFL by Coverage Grade per PFF@denzelward is the #2 overall and the #2 Outside CB.@Myles1Harden is #6 overall and the #2 Slot CB. #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/Tlp7yEiAZw

— CLEology (@_CLEology) September 28, 2026

Harden is currently the sixth-ranked cornerback and second-ranked slot cornerback in the NFL by Coverage Grade, according to PFF. Having such a big leap from Harden to start the season has been a big sigh of relief, especially as Campbell gets healthy.

If both Ward and Harden can keep this play up, all while some of the youngsters and depth pieces play serviceable football, the secondary will be in good shape by the time Campbell is healthy enough to return.

And hopefully, that's sooner rather than later.

The Browns will meet up with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, Oct. 1, from Huntington Bank Field for an in-division clash. The two sides will kick things off at 8:15 p.m. EST.