Browns head coach fired up after 315lb first-round pick loses helmet in brutal training camp body slam
Things are getting chippy at the Cleveland Browns’ training camp.
As NFL teams continue their preparations ahead of the 2026 regular season, there are bound to be some disagreements among teammates as they get acclimatized to each other once again.
Some players enjoy inter-team scraps, such as Buffalo Bills tackle Alec Anderson, who admitted he punched his rookie teammate Kaleb Elarms-Orr in the face for a late hit on veteran tight end Dalton Kincaid.
For some teams around the league, there are a bunch of new faces which includes the Browns.
Having won just five games in 2025, the roster underwent a huge overhaul, which saw the departure of unanimous AP Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Rams.
In return, they received Jared Verse – a young up-and-coming defender who has shown how high his ceiling is in just two years playing at the pro level.
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The upside to winning very few football games, though, is getting high draft picks.
For the Browns this year, they were able to trade down and still acquire their primary target in left tackle Spencer Fano with the ninth overall pick.
The 315lb rookie and Garrett’s replacement, Verse, got into it on the practice field.
“Big scrap. New Verse. Fano, left tackle. HUHHHHH?” Pat McAfee said as he commented through the clip on The Pat McAfee Show.
“[Fano] Loses his helmet. Body slams on top of him. [You] never want to be the guy without a helmet in the middle of the pile.
“Fano [is] a massive man, though. Verse takes him down. He was obviously a part of the trade that sent Myles Garrett out to the Los Angeles Rams. Fun fact about this one – just about a week ago, Verse and Fano were getting some extra work in afterward [practice].”
Fano, who took part once again in first-team reps on Monday’s practice was praised by new Browns head coach Todd Monken for his actions on the field and defending himself.
“100 per cent, don’t you wanna see a player, especially in the o-line, not back down?” Monken asked reporters.
“I mean, as your starting left tackle. All your hopes and dreams, and ability to move the football, having your left tackle not back down against a Pro Bowler…
“But that’s it. You want to see the competition. You want to see a guy not back down. If they don’t stand up for themselves, then you’re concerned.”
Browns found a stud in rookie class
As Fano got into it with Verse on the field, fellow Browns rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Washington have been bidding to impress their new team.
So far, so good for both, especially Concepcion – the 24th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft – who posted 919 receiving yards and nine touchdowns from 61 receptions at Texas A&M last season.
Dubbed a ‘mini Tyreek Hill‘, the 21-year-old has impressed the Browns brass so much through the early weeks of camp that there is a serious possibility that he could be named the team’s WR1 over veteran Jerry Jeudy.
“It’s clear Boston and fellow rookie KC Concepcion are Cleveland’s most gifted receivers,” The Athletic’s Zack Jackson wrote.
“Concepcion gave the team a brief scare with an awkward landing on a shoulder, but he’s shown big-time speed and an ability to adjust to the ball when running routes over the middle.
“Boston has consistently used his size to position himself to make contested catches and has clearly earned the trust of [Shedeur] Sanders and [Deshaun] Watson.”
Who the young receivers will be catching the football from, though, still remains to be seen as new Browns head coach Monken has yet to commit to either Sanders or Watson as his starting quarterback.
In Monday’s practice, though, Sanders took all the first-team reps and completed 16-of-23 passing for three touchdowns, ultimately strengthening his bid to win out that particular battle.
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