Browns DE Za'Darius Smith carted off field at practice with 'left knee contusion'

BEREA, Ohio — Browns defensive end Za'Darius Smith was carted off the field and into the training facility after a play at practice Monday, which left him holding his left leg in apparent pain, later diagnosed as a left knee contusion.

Smith was on the field for red zone 11-on-11s, and during a play that saw the defensive line collapse the pocket around quarterback Deshaun Watson, he was in a jumble of players but seemed to avoid contact.

In a video of the play, Smith appears to jump up to avoid other defensive players like Myles Garrett and Quinton Jefferson, as well as guard Joel Bitonio and, of course, Watson. The video follows the play, but at the end, Smith can be seen on the ground holding his left leg.

As Smith appeared to be wincing in pain, trainers were called to the field, and a cart was brought out. Smith was loaded onto the cart and was keeled over in discomfort as they took him inside.

The Browns will reevaluate Smith's knee contusion on Tuesday morning.

Smith has been working hard at training camp, avoiding vet days, and looking to practice as much as possible to improve his game and serve as a good influence to the younger guys.

"Come to work every day. A lot of guys going into year 10 and they want to take vet days. They don't want to practice. I'm a guy that's going continue to come to work each and every day, try to get better myself. Like I said, I'm still young in this game. Started playing football my senior year of high school, so I feel like I'm still young and I still got a lot of growing to do," Smith said. "So for me to just come out to work each and every day and young guys watching me, guys like Alex [Wright] and Ogbo [Okoronkwo] seeing it, hopefully when they get in year 10 they'll do the same thing."