BEREA, Ohio -- Sirens went off late in Browns minicamp Wednesday, even before the ones signaling it was time to move inside because of lightning.
Just minutes before thunder crackled in the dark sky, No. 1 pick Myles Garrett fell to his knees with his head on the ground after a would-be sack of Brock Osweiler in a two-minute drill, immediately clutching his left foot. Garrett remained down a few moments before coach Hue Jackson and a trainer pulled him up.
He limped to the sidelines, where he took off his left shoe and rubbed the bottom of the foot before the medical staff examined it. Within a few minutes, he was up walking along the sidelines, but with an obvious limp.
Garrett, who went down apparently without contact, knelt for most of the rest of practice, and at least one player came over and patted him on the head. When the lightning sirens screeched, he slowly limped into the fieldhouse for the final three plays of practice. Afterwards, he hobbled slowly to the locker room.
After practice, coach Hue Jackson confirmed it was likely a foot injury.
"Obviously I'll know more once we get inside, but I think it's his foot, so we'll see,'' he said. "I don't know how it happened. Those things happen. Hopefully everything's OK, and we'll see once I get a chance to go inside."
Jackson was asked if it was the same foot that's been bugging Garrett throughout OTAs. A source told cleveland.com that Garrett suffered a foot injury in rookie minicamp, and even wore a walking boot at one point.
He sat out the first week of organized team activities, and was limited the final two weeks.
"I don't know that for sure," said Jackson. "I won't know more until I can go in there and see what it is."
The good news is Garrett didn't go inside immediately for X-rays or treatment. The bad news is it's the same leg as the high ankle sprain that hampered him all last season and limited him to 8 1/2 sacks.
"No, I think that's a good sign (that he didn't go in), you know?'' said Jackson. "Hopefully everything's OK. We know those things happen. I'm glad it's toward the end. He did some good things today, and we'll see where we are."
But it sent shockwaves through the practice field when the Browns' big investment -- four years, $30.4 million -- crumpled to the ground, wincing in pain.
"I mean, that's part of the game,'' said Jackson. "Obviously I don't want to get any of our players nicked, hurt, any of that. But hopefully things will be fine. We don't want to lose any player, especially not one of our really good players. But hopefully things will be OK, and I think they will be."
There's never a good time to see your top rookie go down, but Garrett has six full weeks to heal before training camp begins in late July.
A Browns spokesman said the club probably won't have an update on Garrett until Thursday, the final day of minicamp. He'll likely undergo an MRI or CT scan on the foot. Depending on the nature of the injury, he might even exercise his right to a second opinion with an independent specialist.
One reason the sight of Garrett clutching the bottom of his foot causes concern is that two players -- guards Joel Bitonio and John Greco -- are recovering from Lisfranc midfoot surgeries, which take about a year for recovery.
At this point, Garrett's injury could be nothing, or serious. The Browns just don't know yet. But the last thing they need is their first picks from the last two drafts, including Corey Coleman, both sidelined with injuries.
As it was, Garrett was already frustrated by having to sit out some of OTAs.
"I mean, I don't like sitting on this side,'' he said Tuesday. "I want to be out there grinding just like they are."
The injury comes at a time when Garrett, who started out OTAs with the third-team defense, was beginning to get some reps with the starters. In one sub-defense -- the one on the field at the time of the injury -- he starts on the right side of a three-man front with Carl Nassib on the left and Desmond Bryant in the middle.
His injury happened on the second play of Osweiler's two-minute drill after Garrett rested for more than 15 minutes on the sidelines. He said he was full-go this camp, but appeared to be limited on Wednesday, at least in the second half of practice.
As for having to work his way up from the third team defense, he said, "I wouldn't have it any other way. I've got to prove myself. I haven't shown any kind of resume for what I can do on the NFL level, so they have to see out there. Go from level to level, from spot to spot and show that I can be successful.''
Hopefully for the Browns, his march up the depth chart won't be interrupted.