The Cleveland Browns were on their Week 9 bye ahead of the NFL trade deadline. While the Browns haven’t made any major moves yet, they’ve been mentioned as a team to watch for a few different reasons.
While players like David Njoku, nearly the entire offensive line, Jerome Ford, and Jerry Jeudy have been mentioned in trade rumors, the Browns are adding one player to their wide receiver room a day before the NFL deadline.
As Adam Schefter of ESPN reports, the Browns are officially activating wide receiver Cedric Tillman from injured reserve, opening the 21-day window for Tillman to return to the field for Cleveland.
The Browns activate Cedric Tillman off IR
“Browns designated WR Cedric Tillman for return to practice,” Schefter reports, “and released S Damontae Kazaee.”
Browns designated WR Cedric Tillman for return to practice, and released S Damontae Kazee.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 3, 2025
Cleveland’s getting some extra help for their offense, which is a huge deal for this Browns team down the stretch. There are two main reasons why getting Tillman back is huge for the Browns: it improves the weapons at Dillon Gabriel’s disposal, and it also opens the door for a Jeudy trade to be more easily made.
Jeudy has been mentioned in trade rumors this season, and with his struggles, moving on from him wouldn’t be the worst outcome for the Browns.
In the year, Jeudy has 22 receptions for 257 yards in eight games. The most yards he’s had in a game was 66, coming back in Week one against one of the worst defenses in the NFL in the Cincinnati Bengals.
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In his last game against the New England Patriots, Jeudy had just two targets for no catches and no yards. Jeudy could be traded to a wide receiver-needy team, and it’s a lot more feasible now that Tillman is back.
The 25-year-old receiver has 11 receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns on the season. He was injured in the Week 4 matchup against the Detroit Lions and has missed the last four games.
With the Browns activating him off injured reserve, Tillman can factor back into the Cleveland offense. It’s a huge boost for Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders, whoever ends up starting games down the stretch for Cleveland.
Tillman’s return could have a huge impact on the Browns, as it paves the way for Jeudy to be more readily dealt. Regardless of whether Jeudy is moved or not, getting Tillman back into the offense is a huge boost for a struggling Browns offense.
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