ESPN’s Adam Schefter has added fuel to the fire around the Browns trading WR Jerry Jeudy
Cleveland has one player that would benefit everyone involved if he’s traded. Will the Browns make the move? We’ll see, but it couldn’t be more clear that they should following the first four weeks.
Coming out of a Week 4 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns can feel good about where things stand so far this season with a 3-1 record. They can also feel better about wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, who hadn’t been much of a part of the game plan through the first few weeks of the 2026 NFL season.
Jeudy made a couple of crucial fourth-quarter catches in the win over Pittsburgh. He finished with three catches for 36 yards, which was his best stat line of the season.
Before Sunday, Jeudy didn’t have a catch in either the Week 2 or Week 3 games. He had just two catches for 26 yards in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jerry Jeudy’s role has shrunk in Cleveland
Jeudy is clearly the third option at wide receiver for the Browns. He’s also the fourth pass-catching option overall when you factor tight end Harold Fannin Jr. into the equation. Cleveland is built around rookie wide receivers Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion, and both have impressed early in their careers.
That leaves Jeudy in an awkward spot. He’s a wide receiver making substantial money, and he doesn’t appear to be part of the team’s future past this season. The Browns got much younger at the position, and the veteran’s shrinking role reflects that shift.
The production trend tells the story as well. Jeudy was at the top of his game in 2024 when he went for 1,229 receiving yards and four touchdowns. His production was cut in half to 602 receiving yards in a fully healthy season last year. Through four games this season, it has dropped off even more.
Browns WR could be on the trade block
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on Sunday that Jeudy “could be had” ahead of the November trade deadline. That lines up with how Cleveland has used him to this point. When a team has two young receivers it’s building around, a veteran with a bigger salary becomes a logical trade candidate.
Moving Jeudy wouldn’t cost the Browns a ton on the field. Cleveland could turn to another wide receiver like Isaiah Bond to pick up those snaps. Additionally, the rookies are going to keep soaking up targets regardless of who sits behind them on the depth chart.
If the right draft pick comes about that the team is comfortable with, the Browns should make the move. Getting a future asset for a receiver who likely won’t be around past this season is a solid outcome.
On the flip side, Cleveland shouldn’t feel hard-pressed to trade him either. A deal doesn’t have to happen. Jeudy can remain on the roster in a secondary pass-catching role, and Sunday showed he can still come through when the Browns need him late in a game.
The fourth-quarter catches against the Steelers were a reminder of what Jeudy can still bring to an offense. Still, one solid game doesn’t change the bigger picture for a receiver who has slipped down the pecking order in Cleveland.
If the Browns hold onto him, he gives them a reliable veteran option behind the young core. If the right offer comes along, he could be playing elsewhere soon.
