Cleveland Browns first-round pick Mason Graham doesn’t mind ceding the spotlight to fifth-round selection Shedeur Sanders at this week’s rookie minicamp in Berea, Ohio.
‘I come to play football,’ the former Michigan defensive tackle told reporters Friday. ‘If the media’s on me, then they’re on me. If the media’s not, then it’s not.’
On Saturday, reporters didn’t have much of a choice but to notice Graham after he got sick in front of teammates, coaches, staff and photographers, all of whom seemed to witness the unfortunate scene.
‘That was gross,’ Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Saturday. ‘I think he ate too much. I think the cooking in the kitchen is too good. A few less wings next time.’
As reported by Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, Graham was participating in 11-on-11 drills when he suddenly vomited. Photos from Imagn Images Ken Blaze show a sudden eruption of bile exploding through the openings of Graham’s facemask.
He then left the field to wash off his helmet before returning to drills, according to Cabot.
Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Mason Graham (94) gets sick at rookie minicamp
Graham’s illness was blamed on ‘too many wings’ by coach Kevin Stefanski on Saturday
The fifth-overall pick of last month’s NFL Draft, Graham is expected to start for the Browns
‘He also apologized to the offensive line because they were real close to it and almost standing in it,’ Stefanski told reporters before calming any fears: ‘He’s fine. He’s got the right mentality.’
Of course, as anyone familiar with spring football can attest, it’s not unusual for players to occasionally lose their lunch as they awaken their bodies from a winter slumber.
But while vomit isn’t exactly a surprise at rookie minicamp, Stefanski insisted he and his staff aren’t being reckless with players.
‘We want it to be hard – and as you saw from Mason, it was hard – but we’re trying to be smart, too, and not put anybody in harm’s way, so to speak,’ he said.
‘I think the position coaches are doing a really nice job and making sure we’re getting our money’s worth… but it’s also a teaching tempo the majority of the time we’re out there.’
Although most reporters are focused on Sanders – the son of Deion who plummeted from a projected first-round pick to No. 144 overall – it’s Graham who stands to contribute the most in 2025.
Graham is penciled in to start alongside All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett on what could be one of the better defensive lines in football next season, depending on the development of 23-year-old project Isaiah McGuire.
The highest-rated defensive lineman in the 2025 NFL Draft, Graham is credited as a great athlete who knows how to use leverage thanks to his background as a high school wrestler.
‘Graham can be a nightmare for O-line coaches because the defense can line him up over the worst athlete inside,’ one NFL team personnel director told NFL.com.
