Bengals Acquire Joe Flacco From Browns
The Bengals have indeed changed their tune on a quarterback trade. They will make an intra-AFC North swap, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reporting the team is set to acquire Joe Flacco from the Browns. The deal is now official pending a physical.
Cleveland will acquire a fifth-round pick from Cincinnati, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who adds this pick-swap exchange will involve a sixth going back to the Bengals. The sixth going to Cincy is originally a Detroit selection from the November 2024 Za’Darius Smith trade. The picks are in the 2026 draft, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
After Zac Taylor indicated Jake Browning‘s starting job was in jeopardy, the Bengals will acquire a QB — just not one previously mentioned could be in play. As should be expected, the Bengals (per Schefter) want Flacco to be ready for their Week 6 game against the Packers.
[RELATED: Flacco Did Not Request Trade From Browns]
Rather than a bigger swing for Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins, the Bengals — already rostering a $55MM-per-year contract via the September 2023 Joe Burrow extension — will take on Flacco’s one-year, $4.25MM deal. Only $1.26MM of that is tied up in base salary, meaning the Bengals will only be on the hook for around $1MM in additional salary. The Browns will take on $999K in 2025 dead money and, due to void years on Flacco’s deal, $1.4MM in 2026, per Spotrac.
This marks the third time Flacco has been traded. The Broncos obtained the former Super Bowl MVP from the Ravens in 2019, and the Jets reacquired him from the Eagles in 2021. No calls went to the Giants on Wilson or Jameis Winston, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. As of Sunday morning, no calls were believed to have gone out. A rough Browning showing against the Lions looks to have changed the team’s stance. While New York retains its Wilson-Winston-Jaxson Dart quarterback room, Cleveland has dealt into its previous four-man competition once again.
This will be Flacco’s seventh NFL destination, and he is now a Steelers stop from completing the AFC North cycle. The Browns benched the 40-year-old passer ahead of their Week 5 London trip, going with Dillon Gabriel. Cleveland’s QB depth chart — which once housed both Flacco and Kenny Pickett — has changed significantly over the past several weeks. Cleveland sent Pickett to Las Vegas just before the season. This marks the team’s third QB trade (for a veteran), as it also acquired Pickett from Philadelphia in March, this year.
Receiving poor play from Browning — after he had proved surprisingly effective in 2023 — the Bengals had been calling teams on QBs for the past 48 hours, Rapoport adds. This is just the third in-season player acquisition via trade since 1973 for the Bengals, who obtained offensive lineman B.J. Finney in 2020 and running back Khalil Herbert last season. It is a last-ditch move aimed at salvaging a season that has skidded well off track following Burrow’s toe injury.
This marks the first time the Bengals have obtained a player from a division rival in a trade since they landed Hall of Fame wide receiver Charlie Joiner and linebacker Ron Pritchard for running backs Paul Robinson and Fred Willis from the then-AFC Central rival Oilers, SI.com’s Jay Morrison notes. This marks just the third time this century division rivals have swapped veteran QBs. Although this has happened before the 21st century, the 2002 Drew Bledsoe and 2010 Donovan McNabb swaps (h/t ESPN’s Evan Kaplan) mark the only such instances since 2000.
This move also comes eight years after the Bengals and Browns nearly made a trade involving Cincinnati backup QB A.J. McCarron. The Browns had been close to acquiring McCarron, but the deal was not finalized in time. The teams will link up on this Flacco swap nearly a month before this year’s trade deadline.
The Browns and Bengals faced off in Week 1, with Flacco facing Burrow. By the sides’ Week 18 rematch, Cincy hopes to have Burrow back at the controls. After losing three straight blowouts, the Bengals looked closer to eventually determining Burrow would need to be shelved for the season’s remainder. Now, they will hope Flacco can elevate their offense in hopes of revitalizing contention hopes in what could be Trey Hendrickson‘s final season in Cincinnati.
In Week 1, the Bengals edged a Flacco-quarterbacked Browns team 17-16. Cleveland doubled up Cincinnati in first downs (22-11), and Flacco completed 31 of 45 passes for 290 yards. He threw a touchdown pass and two interceptions, but both picks came on drops by Browns receivers. Flacco, though, has been unable to curb his INT trend, leading to the Gabriel promotion. The 18th-year veteran threw four more INTs from Weeks 2-4, completing just 58.1% of his passes at an anemic 5.1 yards per attempt. Flacco’s weaponry situation will improve significantly, however, following this trade.
Although Flacco is not exactly the most stable option, his 2023 Cleveland cameo shows the upgrade Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins could see. The Browns added Flacco on a practice squad deal that year, giving him five starts following Deshaun Watson‘s season-ending injury. Flacco led a team missing Nick Chubb and both starting tackles to the playoffs, going 4-1 as a starter and winning Comeback Player of the Year acclaim.
The Browns flamed out in the wild-card round and did not make Flacco an offer to stay, making a final bid to build around Watson in 2024. Flacco ended up in Indianapolis as Anthony Richardson insurance, but after the Colts signed Daniel Jones this offseason, he returned to Cleveland as the elder statesman in an otherwise young QB room.
Making 195 career starts, the former 11-year Ravens QB1 prevailed in the Browns’ four-man quarterback competition this summer. It did not turn out to be very close, as a Pickett hamstring injury removed him from the running. Pickett is now backing up Geno Smith in Las Vegas. With the Browns undoubtedly eyeing a 2026 draft move for a longer-term replacement, Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders‘ presences notwithstanding, the team being unconcerned with dealing a passer to help a division rival makes sense. Sanders, despite his strange mime routine following the news Flacco would be Cleveland’s QB2 following the Gabriel elevation, should also be expected to rise from QB3 to QB2 on Cleveland’s depth chart.
Browning will be set to slide down Cincinnati’s. After replacing an injured Burrow more effectively in 2023, Browning proved woeful — save for some garbage-time work against the Lions — in his second Cincy starter stint. He threw eight interceptions in four games, including three against Detroit in Week 5.
The Bengals lost by a combined 113-37 against the Vikings, Broncos and Lions. Taylor had gone from offering Browning support ahead of Week 5 to walking it back following the home loss to the Lions. The 2-3 team is throwing a Hail Mary of sorts in Flacco, but the operation was careening off the rails with Browning running the show.
Flacco went 2-4 as a Colts starter last season, and while he posted a 12:7 TD-INT ratio, his form did not closely rival the 2023 Cleveland work. The Bengals also have experienced O-line issues for years. Going into Week 5, Pro Football Focus ranked Cincinnati’s O-line last in the NFL. The stationary QB could struggle behind that quintet, even though he operated well without then-Browns starting tackles Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin late in the ’23 season.
This will be a wildly interesting experiment for the Bengals, who paid up to extend both Chase and Higgins this offseason. Browning’s form had reduced the marquee receivers’ value; the team will hope Flacco can restore it while Burrow rehabs. A mid-December return is viewed as the goal for Burrow. Flacco helping at least restore offensive competency would stand to keep that hope in play.
Joe Flacco Did Not Request Trade From Browns
Quarterback Joe Flacco‘s second stint in Cleveland ended when the Browns surprisingly traded him to AFC North rival Cincinnati on Tuesday. Flacco did not request a trade, but he did welcome the move and a chance at more playing time, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.
After spending last season with the Colts, Flacco rejoined the Browns on a one-year contract last April. That came after the Browns acquired fellow veteran signal-caller Kenny Pickett in a trade with the Eagles. Continuing a makeover of their QB room, the Browns went on to select Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the draft.
With Gabriel and Sanders around as developmental prospects, Flacco and Pickett entered training camp as the front-runners to earn the starting job. Flacco ultimately won the role with ease after Pickett suffered a hamstring injury early in the summer. The Browns wound up trading Pickett to the Raiders in late August, leaving Flacco as the veteran mentor to the two rookies.
At 40 years old, Flacco was never expected to be anything more than a Band-Aid for the Browns. The team pulled the plug on Flacco earlier than expected, though, after he threw two touchdowns against six interceptions during a 1-3 start. Gabriel took over as the starter before last Sunday’s 21-17 loss to the Vikings.
The left-handed Gabriel went without a turnover in his debut and completed 19 of 33 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. It may be a long shot, but he’ll have a chance to establish himself as the Browns’ long-term starter. Either Sanders or practice squad QB Bailey Zappe could back up Gabriel against the Steelers on Sunday.
Flacco is again in a stopgap role in Cincinnati, but he is joining a talented offense that includes a few high-end weapons, including wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. He could start as early as this week against Green Bay in place of Jake Browning, whose poor performance filling in for the injured Joe Burrow necessitated a QB trade. The 2-3 Bengals suffered three straight ugly losses under Browning, who has matched Flacco’s INT total (eight, with six TDs) this season. Flacco led the Browns to their only 2025 victory — over the Packers — in Week 3.
Thanks to Browning’s immense struggles, the Bengals discussed “several” different signal-callers over the past 48 hours, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. The Bengals ended up swinging a deal with their in-state rivals for Flacco, who they hope will play well enough to keep them alive in the AFC North race.
Browns’ Greg Newsome, David Njoku On Trade Radar?
The Browns made a noteworthy trade Tuesday when they sent quarterback Joe Flacco and a sixth-round pick to the division rival Bengals for a fifth-rounder. With the Nov. 4 trade deadline nearing, the Browns may not be done shipping out players. Cornerback Greg Newsome and tight end David Njoku are among the names to watch leading up to the deadline, according to Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports.
Newsome has been a career-long Brown since they selected him 26th overall in the 2021 draft. He has since started in 47 of 59 games, including all five this year, and totaled three interceptions. Newsome came up in trade rumors multiple times during the offseason.
A deal never came together, though, and the former first-round cornerback made it clear in August that he wanted to remain a Brown for the rest of his career. The team then lost Martin Emerson for the season, giving Newsome more role stability. Emerson has played 95% of Cleveland’s defensive snaps through five games.
Newsome may want to stay in Cleveland, but he’s facing an uncertain future as a soon-to-be free agent. He’s due to reach the open market in March after playing this season under his his fifth-year option (worth $13.38MM). The Browns could move the 25-year-old for draft-pick compensation in the next few weeks if they don’t plan to retain him during the offseason.
Njoku, now in his ninth year, joins Newsome as a career-long Brown and a pending free agent. He surfaced in trade rumors alongside Newsome around this time last year. As is the case with Newsome, though, he has yet to change hands.
In the first three seasons after inking a four-year, $56.75MM extension in May 2022, Njoku averaged 14 games, 68 catches, 100 targets, 672 yards and five touchdowns per campaign. Five games into 2025, Njoku is on a similar pace, having racked up 20 catches on 30 targets for 195 yards and a TD.
Among Browns pass catchers, Njoku’s 84.4 percent snap share ranks second behind wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (86.4). It’s also worth noting that he showed chemistry with Dillon Gabriel in the rookie quarterback’s first start last week, catching six of nine targets for 67 yards and a score.
Although Njoku remains a key figure in the Browns’ offense, they could feel comfortable parting with him thanks to the emergence of rookie tight end Harold Fannin. The third-round pick from Bowling Green has played 72.4 percent of the Browns’ offensive snaps and hauled in 21 of 28 targets for 173 yards and a TD. Fannin has impressed the Browns enough that his role in their offense could increase, per Dan Graziano of ESPN. That may help usher Njoku out of town in the coming weeks. At the very least, the 1-4 team’s tight end position will be worth monitoring as Fannin continues to adjust to the NFL game.
Reasoning For Shedeur Sanders’ Role As QB3
Opinions ran rampant this week when it was announced that the Browns would allow rookie third-round quarterback Dillon Gabriel his first career start. Nobody was angry about Gabriel getting his shot, but the additional announcement that the demoted veteran, Joe Flacco, would serve as the primary backup to Gabriel with fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders remaining QB3 had people up in arms. 
Opinions have always varied on Sanders. Once considered a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Sanders suffered an unprecedented slide into the fifth round. Ever since arriving in Cleveland, Gabriel has consistently sat above Sanders in the pecking order, while both players were below Flacco and Kenny Pickett as they battled for the starting job. That’s why it made sense that, when Flacco won the job and Pickett was traded away, Gabriel was named QB2 and Sanders QB3.
But, if the Browns are willing to give one rookie quarterback a look over Flacco, why wouldn’t they also extend that courtesy on the depth chart to Sanders and make him QB2? According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, there is a very good reason.
The Browns don’t appear to be a team headed to a championship game this season, and while Flacco may give the franchise its best chance at winning games this year, he doesn’t factor into their long-term prospects, whereas both rookies could. One reason Gabriel could have some success as a rookie, though, comes down to just how different he is from Flacco.
Aside from the obvious age difference, Gabriel is quite a bit more mobile than Flacco, quite a bit smaller than Flacco, and quite a bit more left-handed than Flacco. Additionally, his consistency in avoiding turnovers in college gave the team some hope that they could put an end to the poor early-season trends. Through the first four weeks of the season, Flacco threw at least one interception in each game, totaling six picks and two lost fumbles. Today’s start with Gabriel under center was the Browns’ first this season without a turnover.
While these attributes differ Gabriel from Flacco a good deal, they also fail to align much with Sanders. Because Cleveland is now running an offense specifically catered to Gabriel, it would be difficult for either Flacco or Sanders to step into the offense if Gabriel is hurt or struggling. If this were to happen, though, Flacco’s experience and leadership as a captain of the team make him the best option to find success in an unfamiliar offense.
Putting Sanders into that position for his first ever NFL action would do him a disservice. It would be difficult for Sanders to thrive in Gabriel’s offense, and per Rapoport, “the Browns want Sanders to be successful when he’s out there.” When Cleveland finally makes the call to give Sanders a shot at the QB1 role, they want him to do so in an offense catered to him instead of one catered to the shorter, shifty, left-handed Hawaiian. So, unless multiple injuries take place, Sanders won’t be making a surprise debut; it should be announced in advance giving the team a week (or more) to develop a gameplan.
In the meantime, Sanders has continued to improve while out of the spotlight. He’s had to make up a lot of ground on Gabriel ever since they were drafted, and though he holds the official QB3 designation, there’s reason to believe he may also get an opportunity to take the reins of the offense at some point this season. Whenever that occurs, though, it’ll be after the Browns are able to design and practice a gameplan just for him.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/4/25
Here are Week 5’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations:
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: QB Tyler Huntley, DT C.J. Okoye
Buffalo Bills
- Signed to active roster: LB Jimmy Ciarlo
- Elevated: DT Zion Logue, DT Phidarian Mathis
- Placed on IR: CB Dorian Strong
Cleveland Browns
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: T Devin Cochran, CB Tre Flowers
Houston Texans
- Elevated: CB Damon Arnette, S Jalen Mills
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed from practice squad: CB Chris Lammons
- Elevated: RB Ameer Abdullah, CB Mike Hilton
- Placed on IR: S Daniel Scott
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: OLB Clelin Ferrell, RB Kimani Vidal
New York Giants
- Elevated: LB Neville Hewitt, K Jude McAtamney
New York Jets
- Signed from practice squad: LB Mykal Walker
- Elevated: S Dean Clark, RB Avery Williams
- Waived: WR Isaiah Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: S Jerrick Reed II, DT Brandon Pili
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: WR Tay Martin
Huntley will be on hand to back up backup quarterback Cooper Rush in Baltimore tomorrow against the Texans. Okoye is called up for the second week in a row as injuries continue to hamper the Ravens’ defensive line, as well.
With some continuing injuries causing some concern in the secondary, the Browns will elevate Avery and Jones for the second straight week. Jones is being elevated for the third time this season, meaning that if Cleveland wants to see him in another game this year, the team will need to sign him to the active roster. The same is true for Logue in Buffalo, Hewitt with the Giants, Clark with the Jets, and Pili in Seattle.
Arnette’s promotion means Week 5 will mark his first regular season action in the NFL since the end of his Raiders tenure in 2021. The former first-round pick revived his career in part through his performances in the UFL this spring, something which created interest from multiple teams in free agency. Arnette, 29, will look to use tomorrow’s contest in a bid to land a permanent role in Houston.
This is the second time the Jets have parted ways with a kick returner following a game in which they had a costly fumble. Williams follows in footsteps of Xavier Gipson, who was waived following a similar mistake in the team’s season opener. There appears to be a pretty short leash for young returners in New York at the moment.
Browns To Start QB Dillon Gabriel In Week 5
The Browns will start rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel in place of veteran Joe Flacco in their Week 5 matchup in London, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The team confirmed that Gabriel would be taking over under center, as first reported by CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz on Tuesday. Shedeur Sanders will remain in place as the third-string quarterback, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Cleveland has long been expected to give Gabriel a try at some point this season. After four rough outings by Flacco – featuring a 2:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio and career lows of 5.1 yards per attempt and a 60.3 passer rating – the rookie will get his chance. Sunday will not be Gabriel’s debut, as he played at the end of blowout losses in Weeks 2 and 4, but it will be his first extended action in the pros.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski certainly did not choose the easiest or simplest week to make such a significant change. The Browns are in London this week, contending with a bevy of added factors including the time difference and lack of access to their usual facilities. They are also playing the Vikings, who have been across the pond since last Friday, giving them more time to acclimate.
Minnesota’s defense has also been a top-10 unit this season. They rank ninth in points allowed and seventh in total defense with the third-best passing defense. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has harassed opposing quarterbacks with a 35.8% blitz rate (fourth-highest) and a 31.7% pressure rate (second-highest) with a variety of creative pressure packages. As a result, Gabriel’s first NFL start could be a rough one, though Tony Grossi of The Land on Demand notes that the rookie may introduce a “quicker pace” to the Browns offense.
Stefanski addressed the quarterback change on Wednesday, saying of Gabriel (via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi): “From the second he’s been here, he’s been working very hard. He’s a very intelligent young man. He’s done a nice job throughout practice and this whole season he’s been learning how to get yourself ready and understand the rhythm of an NFL week and what that looks like as a backup. Obviously now feel like he’s ready to go as a starter.”
Gabriel’s ascendance marks a number of milestones. He is the Browns’ 41st starting quarterback since the team was re-established in 1999, and the 12th quarterback in six years of Stefanski’s tenure, per Grossi. Gabriel is also the third rookie quarterback to start this season, and the first non-first-rounder.
With Cooper Rush expected to start in the place of an injured Lamar Jackson in Week 5, the AFC North’s quarterbacks are now Gabriel, Rush, Jake Browning in Cincinnati, and Aaron Rodgers in Steelers. Rodgers is the only Week 1 starter left standing, while Browning took over for Joe Burrow after he went down with turf toe.
Though Sanders will remain third on the depth chart, he could still play this season, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Cleveland’s willingness to give one rookie a chance suggests that Sanders could receive a similar opportunity if Gabriel falters, though he will certainly get a few games to prove himself.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/1/25
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Jermar Jefferson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: G LaDarius Henderson
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Nick Whiteside
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: T Bobby Hart
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Caleb Johnson
New York Jets
- Signed: OLB Tomon Fox
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OLB Antwaun Powell-Ryland
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Myles Gaskin
Washington Commanders
- Signed: WR Robbie Chosen
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/30/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Jaden Davis
- Released: CB Ekow Boye-Doe
Baltimore Ravens
- Released: C Sam Mustipher
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Ameer Speed
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Parris Campbell
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Tre Flowers, LB Ty Summers
- Released: WR Ronnie Bell
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: QB Carter Bradley
- Released: QB Seth Henigan
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OT Leroy Watson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: OL Michael Dunn, CB Isas Waxter
- Released: CB Myles Purchase, OLB Rashad Weaver
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: OT Matt Waletzko
- Released: WR Tim Jones
New England Patriots
- Signed: OT Sebastian Gutierrez, G Andrew Rupcich
- Released: G Jack Conley, DL Fabien Lovett
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Liam Fornadel
- Released: LB Ben Niemann
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: LB Lance Dixon
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OT Logan Brown
Browns Place WR Cedric Tillman On IR, Sign WR Malachi Corley From Practice Squad
The Browns will be without their No. 2 wide receiver for a while. Cedric Tillman Jr. sustained a hamstring injury in the team’s loss to the Lions, and the team announced it will lead to an IR stay.
Kevin Stefanski had confirmed (via the Akron Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling) Tillman would be out “in the weeks department”; the IR trip will sideline the third-year receiver for at least four games. The Browns signed wideouts Malachi Corley and Gage Larvadain to their 53-man roster from the practice squad. Cleveland also waived cornerback Cameron Mitchell, a 2023 fifth-round pick who started four games from 2023-24.
Although the Browns signed Diontae Johnson, he never appeared to threaten Tillman’s spot. Cleveland released the nomadic veteran on roster-cutdown day and turned to the player whose role had increased following last year’s Amari Cooper trade. The Cooper Bills swap opened the door for more Tillman work alongside Jerry Jeudy, and the former third-round pick did enough to keep that top sidekick gig entering this season. Tillman reached 75 receiving yards in his first three starts, teaming with Jameis Winston last year, but could not build on that momentum.
Tillman started six games last season but did not finish the campaign on Cleveland’s active roster, missing six games to close the season. Tillman, who did not enjoy a big role as a rookie, missed three games during that season. This represents another setback in the Tennessee product’s development. He has 11 catches for 106 yards this season.
Cleveland entered the season light on receiver experience, carrying Tillman as Jeudy’s top wingman. Only two other receivers — Jamari Thrash and rookie UDFA Isaiah Bond — are on the Browns’ 53-man roster. Bond, a draft prospect who fell off the board due to off-field trouble, figures to see a bigger role. The Texas alum caught three passes for 58 yards against the Lions. Bond was not indicted after an arrest on sexual assault charges, leading to his Browns signing soon after. Beginning his career at Alabama, Bond did not eclipse 700 receiving yards in a college season but garnered draft interest from several teams.
The Browns also placed wideout DeAndre Carter on IR, thinning their receiver position further. Journeying the league as a return specialist, Carter joined the Browns this offseason. A knee injury will lead Carter off Cleveland’s 53-man roster. This will force the Browns into multiple changes, with Carter serving as their primary kick and punt returner.
The Jets drafted Corley atop Round 3 last year, with the Western Kentucky alum famously drawing a Draft Day-like “no matter what” reference from then-decision-makers Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh. After slogging through a rough rookie year, Corley did not impress the Jets’ new decision-making team and was waived last month. The Browns added him to their practice squad soon after. Corley, who caught just three passes for 16 yards last season, has not played in a Browns game yet.
Browns Acquire Cam Robinson From Texans
In search of help at the left tackle spot, the Browns are making a move aimed at addressing the position. Cam Robinson is heading to Cleveland. 
The Browns and Texans have worked out a Robinson trade involving a late-round pick swap, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Sixth- and seventh-round selections in 2027 are being swapped, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network add. The deal is now official, with Houston receiving the sixth-round pick in exchange for Robinson and the seventh-rounder.
The 29-year-old spent eight-plus years handling blindside duties with the Jaguars. Robinson’s time in Duval County came to an end midway through the 2024 campaign when he was traded to the Vikings. That move allowed him to fill in for an injured Christian Darrisaw through the remainder of the season. As a free agent, Robinson returned to the AFC South by inking a one-year pact with Houston carrying a base value of $12MM.
The majority of that compensation was already paid out as a signing bonus. As a result, the Browns will only take on the prorated remainder of Robinson’s $2MM base salary; $1.25MM in per-game roster bonuses are also present. This agreement will give Cleveland – a team which has struggled at both tackle spots early in the season en route to a 1-3 start – a veteran presence on the blindside. Robinson has 104 regular season appearances (all but two of those being starts) to his name.
Houston underwent a number of changes up front this offseason, one in which Laremy Tunsil was traded away. That appeared to open the door to Robinson handling first-team duties at the left tackle spot, but rookie Aireontae Ersery impressed during training camp. The second-round pick has handled the starting gig as a result, relegating Robinson to backup duties. The Texans looked into a trade during roster cutdowns, but the Alabama product remained in the fold through the first month of the campaign.
Despite Houston’s struggles up front so far, the team has elected to move forward with a trade this time around. Robinson will look to quickly work his way into Cleveland’s lineup. A strong run of play with the Browns will likely not be sufficient for a postseason berth to be possible, but it could help his free agent stock for next spring. With both tackle spots being a question mark for the Browns beyond the current season, Robinson could play his way into an extended stay in Cleveland depending on how the coming months unfold.