As DE Alex Wright broke past two Packers' offensive linemen on the edge, he cut back in towards the middle of the pocket where QB Jordan Love stood. As Love stepped up farther in the pocket, Wright closed in, bringing Love down for the sack.
Wright roared in celebration of the play, forcing the Packers into a third down situation and marking his first sack of the 2025 season. Wright has been an integral part to the depth of the Browns' defensive line not only this season – ranking second on the team in tackles for loss and third in sacks – but also since Wright was drafted by the Browns in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
He will continue to be an important piece of Cleveland's dominant defense as Wright signed a 3-year contract extension with the Browns.
"The defensive line is the engine that drives our defensive scheme and having waves of quality players along the front is a priority for us," Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry said. "Alex's growth over the first four years of his career has been excellent. His well-rounded skill set, tenacity, versatility and drive make him someone we want to remain in Cleveland for the foreseeable future. We are pleased with Alex's play currently and still see potential to be realized which we are excited to observe over the next three seasons."
Following the agreement on the extension, Wright was on the phone with his mother, Aretha, reminiscing about his football journey. They reflected back to when he was in high school in Elba, Ala., and the encouragement his late grandfather – who passed away during Wright's second year in the league – shared with Wright to pursue the NFL and the opportunities that come with being a professional athlete.
"It's life changing," Wright said. "The first thing I thought about was him. And it kind of made me emotional, on the practice field I started crying, because it's just like, wow, this is really life changing."
Over his first four seasons in Cleveland, Wright has totaled 85 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits and nine sacks in 46 career games. His nine sacks since 2023 ranks third on the Browns. Wright has also added seven passes defensed, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one safety. His sack in the end zone at Jacksonville in 2024 was the Browns' first safety since the 2020 season.
Wright dealt with an injury during the 2024 season, playing in four games before missing the remainder of the season with a triceps injury. However, he used his time away from the field and throughout the offseason to rehab through the injury, working to be ready for the offseason program and training camp.
When the Browns returned for OTAs, defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire saw how Wright had prepared his body in the offseason to set himself up for success in 2025.
"He's just a tough physical defensive end that knows how to rush the passer with physicality, and I just like how he sets the edge," Cesaire said on June 12. "He has some position flex where he can play inside and give us a good rush, play outside and give us a good rush. And the guy is just a hard worker, just another hungry, fast, physical guy that that we need on the defensive line."
Even throughout the 2025 season, Wright said he still holds on to the mentality that he can always improve different areas of his game. He will take notes of an element that he sees on film or in practice and take it with him to the next period, focusing on improving that detail. He will head out to the practice fields early to work on his steps, angles, hand placement or his eyes to sharpen the small details of his game.
That work has continued to pay off. This season alone, Wright has recorded 24 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, three sacks and one forced fumble. He is tied for eighth in the NFL with nine tackles for loss through the first 11 weeks of the 2025 season.
"Really, really proud of Alex," defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said. "Alex has played really good football for us and just been derailed by a couple injuries, most notably the one last year, and was really being productive. We really missed Alex last year. Number one, he is a physical presence in the run game. He's got great size. Some of our best plays on the edge are Alex taking on pullers and knocking tight ends back. And those are things we really value. He's rushed really well for us, too, and been a good complement. […] I think it's a good sign when you're drafting and developing your players, we know how hard it is to sign those guys. Pass rushers aren't cheap, finding those guys in the free agent market. So, I think it's a good sign for us that we're developing some players and getting production out of guys like Alex."
Wright credits Schwartz for his development, and the belief Schwartz has displayed in Wright. After Schwartz was named the defensive coordinator for the Browns in 2023, the two had a conversation that Wright still remembers to this day.
"When he first got here, our first conversation was, 'I'm going to make you into a star. I'm going to develop you. I'm going to push you,'" Wright recalled. "Just for it to come to fruition, me taking the path and just being hungry – especially coming off the injury last year – it's just like, I'm here."
Wright has held on to that conviction from Schwartz, believing his skillset fits well in the defensive scheme. That fueled his desire to grow as a player, learning from veterans on the defensive line like DE Myles Garrett, as well as his aspirations to continue his career with the Browns.
Now with a contract extension in place, Wright is poised to flourish in his role on the defensive line, providing depth on the edge and a young player eager to make a positive impact for the Browns.
"It just shows the fact that they believe in me," Wright said. "They put they all into me. They didn't have to draft me. They didn't have to throw me into the fire. They could have got somebody else my rookie year, but I learned just being out there physically. I learned going against people like Joel (Bitonio), Jack (Conklin), Dawand (Jones), just being a sponge and stuff like that. So, it's just surreal right now. It's very surreal. But at the end of the day, the work is still there. I'm happy that this is a life changing moment for me, but at the end of the day, we still got work to do. So just trying to stay as tunnel vision as I can. I will take a moment for sure, but at the end of the day, we still got work to do."
