Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett did not play in Saturday's preseason contest against the Indianapolis Colts, as he was still feeling the effects of a tough joint practice with Indy on Thursday.

Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com that Garrett would have played had it been a regular season, but that he was held out as a precaution:

“It's just if they're a little bit banged up, I'm going to make sure they're fine,’’ said Kitchens. “If we'd have played a [regular-season] game today, he would've been out there.”

Preseason football is not the best time to push the physical threshold, especially considering that Garrett dealt with a litany of injuries in his rookie season.

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The former No. 1 overall pick was fully healthy last year, and had a monster season with 13.5 and three forced fumbles. The Browns were one of the worst defensive units in the league, giving up close to 400 yards and nearly 25 points per game, both of which ranked in the bottom half of the NFL.

However, with talents like Garrett and Denzel Ward in the front seven and secondary, respectively, the Browns are hoping that they take the next step in their aspirations as a playoff team.

Garrett was ranked No. 49 on the “NFL Top 100” for 2018, and he figures to have another big year if he can stay on the field.

The Colts are also taking precautions, as Andrew Luck worked out before Saturday's game but is unlikely to suit up until Week 1, if he is active.