BEREA, Ohio — Carson Schwesinger can’t even do an interview anymore without one of his teammates stating the obvious.

As the linebacker spoke with Cleveland.com on Friday shortly after being ruled out for the season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, fellow rookie defensive tackle Mason Graham walked by and got in a question of his own.

“How does it feel to be Defensive Rookie of the Year?”

Schwesinger laughed, and of course, the award won’t be announced until NFL Honors during Super Bowl week.

But the drumbeat for him to win the award has grown louder in recent weeks. He remains the betting favorite, according to Vegas odds, and his absence in the regular season finale won’t impact that fact.

Teammates and coaches have continued to stump for him to win the award, and on Friday head coach Kevin Stefanski reiterated that he thinks the rookie has played at an All-Pro level.

“Name a level – the answer is yes, he’s an All-Pro,“ Stefanski said. ”He looks like the other All-Pros out there, and for him to do it as a rookie in the middle of this defense has been incredible. If it sounds like I’m stumping for him, I am. But I just have a hard time imagining there’s another rookie out there that had the impact at the level he had for the amount of games.”

All of that is to say, Schwesinger is plenty aware of the noise, even though it hasn’t been his focus.

“You hear it because, I mean, like Mason just walked by and says it,” Schwesinger said. “So obviously I know what’s going on, but at the end of the day, the goal for me was to be able to go out there and play as best as I can when I take the field.

“And if that’s the result, that’s great, I’ll take it. And I think it’s an honor to have that. But really the goal, looking back on the year, I want to look back and be like, I got better each game, I helped contribute to a great defense, and if I can be able to say that, I’m happy.”

Schwesinger accomplished his goal, to say the least.

He’s leading the team with 146 tackles, and leads all NFL rookies in tackles and tackles for loss (11). Those 146 tackles are the most by any Browns rookie since the team returned in 1999. He’s also had two interceptions and 2.5 sacks, the first NFL rookie to hit those marks since Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson did in 2022.

Schwesinger also fought through some tough injuries this season, including a high ankle sprain that he suffered in Week 8 against the Patriots. He worked tirelessly over the bye, and was back for a Week 10 loss to the Jets, missing no time with an injury that can sometimes sideline players for a month.

Against the Steelers in Week 17 Schwesinger also fought through the quad muscle injury that ultimately will sideline him for the finale against the Bengals.

He still finished the game with nine tackles despite barely being able to move by the end of the first half and needing to ride the bike and use a heat compress to try and stay loose when he was off the field.

“If it would have been anybody else, I might have been worried,” defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said. “But during the game, I’d hit (linebackers coach) Jason Tarver, and I’d be like, ‘Hey, look, do we need to get him out?’ And he’s like, ‘Let him go, let him go, let him go.’ And I was talking to him after every series, and he just said, ‘I can do my job,’ and he could.

“Really a cement block for our defense and I think defensive rookie of the year.”

Why was it so important for Schwesinger to fight through that injury despite the Browns only having four victories this season?

“I think it’s just the mentality,” Schwesinger said. “I think you never know when your last play or whatever’s gonna be. And so, I don’t know, my mindset was, as long as I can get out there, do my job, I’m gonna be out there.”

Even for this meaningless Week 18 game against the Bengals, Schwesinger “put up a fight” to try and play before cooler heads prevailed.

“But also there’s some people who’ve been around a long time and know what’s best for you, too,” he said. “So sometimes you gotta listen to them.

“I think it is what it is. I’m excited to still be there and watch and support the guys, so I’m so excited to be able to go out there and watch, and I think we’ll be able to go out there and finish the season out strong.”

Whether the league ultimately hands him the trophy or not, Schwesinger already delivered the kind of rookie season Defensive Rookie of the Year campaigns are built on.

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