Heading into the 2026 NFL season, just about everyone expected the Cleveland Browns to be sellers at the NFL trade deadline. Now the Browns are 4-2 and coming off a win over the Baltimore Ravens. Cleveland sits atop the AFC North, and selling at the deadline doesn’t make much sense right now.

The player whose name has come up most as a Browns trade candidate is wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. I’ve been open about my belief that Cleveland should probably trade Jeudy, who is now the team’s third wide receiver behind Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion. However, I’m beginning to waver on that idea.

Jerry Jeudy came up big against the Ravens

The Browns don’t beat Baltimore without Jeudy’s multiple big catches in that AFC North matchup. On the game-winning drive, Jeudy hauled in a 33-yard pass from quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Jeudy finished the day with four catches for 69 yards. That led Cleveland against the Ravens, and it was also his best performance of the season.

Before the Baltimore game, Jeudy’s best outing came in Week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when he had three catches for 36 yards. Jeudy also made a big catch late in that game to help the Browns pull out a win. There’s a clear pattern of him delivering when Cleveland needs it most.

Jeudy’s production is down, but his role matters

There’s no hiding that the overall numbers have dipped. Jeudy has 12 catches for 150 yards and is averaging just 25 yards per game.

Still, the Browns are winning football games, and depth matters in that situation. Having a reliable veteran as the third wide receiver is a good thing for any contender. Jeudy has caught 12 of his 19 targets. He also appears bought in on his current role, even after Cleveland overhauled the wide receiver room in a big way this offseason by adding Boston and Concepcion.

That kind of buy-in isn’t a given for a veteran who has seen his targets shrink. For a team that has a shot at the postseason, it’s worth something.

The trade deadline math has changed

The NFL trade deadline isn’t until Nov. 10. Unless the Browns fall apart between now and then, I’m not sure trading Jeudy is a move the team makes anymore.

Most of the talk around Jeudy assumed Cleveland would be out of the race by midseason. That hasn’t happened. At this point, the juice may not be worth the squeeze. An early Day 3 pick may not be worth losing Jeudy for what could become a stretch run, because if the Browns keep winning, the playoffs are going to be part of the conversation.

The next few weeks will be telling for both Jeudy and the Browns.