Browns: Des Bryant likely to miss 2016 season

The Cleveland Browns confirmed Wednesday that defensive end Desmond Bryant will likely miss the 2016 season with a torn pectoral muscle.

The team said Bryant underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a pectoral muscle that he tore during a workout last week. The injury reportedly occurred while he was lifting weights.

A full recovery is expected but Bryant will miss a significant amount of time and will unlikely be able to return during the 2016 season, the team announced.

In lieu of Bryant, second-year player Xavier Cooper and rookie Carl Nassib will likely step in, according to Cleveland.com. Armonty Bryant is another possibility except for a four-game suspension for performance enhancing drug use and perhaps more coming related to felony drug charges.

"We feel awful for Des," Browns head coach Hue Jackson said in a statement. "This is a young man that worked extremely hard this offseason to prepare himself for the 2016 season. He really bought into our coaching, our team-over-self-philosophy and was intent on becoming a leader for our team.

"Ray (Horton) and the defensive staff were expecting a really productive season from him. We all understand that injuries are part of this profession and as a team you have to find a way to overcome them. There is no doubt that we will miss Des this season and we all wish him a speedy recovery."

The 30-year-old Bryant led the Browns with six sacks last season. He recorded 33 tackles and a forced fumble in 14 games, missing Weeks 3 and 4 with a shoulder injury.

"First off, thank you to all the fans, friends, and family who have reached out expressing their well wishes in response to the news of my injury," Bryant said in a statement released by the Browns. "While I'm frustrated and disappointed about having to miss some time out there with my teammates, I take comfort in knowing that preparations have already begun for an epic return."

Bryant, who debuted as an undrafted free agent out of Harvard in 2009 with the Oakland Raiders, has 26 career sacks and 237 tackles in 104 games. He spent the first four years of his career with the Raiders from 2009 to 2012 before joining the Browns in 2013.