If we are to believe the Cleveland Browns when it comes to fleeting star wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, he will, in 2026, revert back to the player he was in 2024. That was when Jeudy was a Pro Bowler, with 90 catches and 1,229 yards receiving, putting up big numbers despite a revolving-door quarterback situation. Hoping for that version of Jeudy, though, requires we ignore the 2025 Jeudy we saw, in which his production dropped off by almost half–50 catches and 602 yards–and his attitude and approach appeared to deteriorate along with it.
It’s spring, though, so the Browns are allowed to puff up some of their flawed pieces and hope that big changes are coming. Jeudy did get somewhat better as last year went on–he had eight drops in the first 10 weeks, but only one in the final eight weeks of the year. Still, the production was not there and it’s just doubtful that Jeudy is on the brink of returning to his old form.
The fact that the Browns used two of their first three picks in this NFL draft on receivers is an indication that they’re not feeling great about Jeudy’s bounce-back potential.
Jerry Jeudy Trade Pitch to Washington
That’s one of the lines of thinking behind the trade pitch form Heavy’s Max Dible, who proposes a deal between the Browns and the Commanders that would send Jeudy to Washington–which is eager for receiver depth–for a 2027 fifth-round pick.
That’s not much of a return, of course. But here’s how Dible sees it:
“Jerry Jeudy has value in Cleveland this season, but not that much. The team selected KC Concepcion No. 24 overall, then saw Denzel Boston fall to them at No. 39. Jeudy has two years remaining on his $52.5 million deal and will be an obvious trade/cut candidate heading into next offseason when the Browns are poised to add their QB of the future via the NFL draft or some other method. … Cleveland got him for a fifth-rounder and a sixth-rounder two years ago. If they can get a fifth back now, that’s more than a small victory given his two years of production for the end cost of a sixth-round draft selection. Win-win.”
Browns Would Be Without a WR1 Candidate
Of course, the issue for the Browns is they would be a headless bunch in the wide-receiver room, with neither Concepcion nor Boston having taken an NFL snap, and the rest of the group–Cedric Tillman, Isaiah Bond, Tylan Wallace–decidedly not WR1 candidates. Maybe the Browns could gamble on the likes of Brandon Aiyuk or Jauan Jennings. But that’s a longshot.
GM Andrew Berry said he still considers Jeudy the team’s top WR option.
After drafting two receivers, Berry said, “Zero impact on Jerry, he’s our bell cow. We feel like we have a nice – I think with receiver rooms you can have, maybe a ball dominant player or you can essentially build a basketball team, you know, with different skill sets. You know, we prefer the second approach.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take Calvin Johnson if he’s out there. But we feel like we have a nice, you know, well rounded room with speed, RAC, contested catch ability, separation. So, we’re really pleased with the youth and talent in that group.”
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