Cleveland Browns' Jerry Jeudy Could Be Traded as Rookies Step Up in 2026

The success of the Cleveland Browns' passing offense is among the most pleasant surprises of the 2026 NFL season. Entering the year, one might have thought that if Deshaun Watson were going to put together a career-saving season, he would do so with the help of veteran wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. Instead, it has been a pair of rookies who stepped up to help the maligned quarterback hold onto his job and lead the Browns to two wins in three weeks.

As KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston rose, Jeudy slipped. After he led all Browns wide receivers in production in 2025, he now ranks behind those first-year players, tight end Harold Fannin and running backs Quinshon Judkins and Raheim Sanders in both targets (five) and receptions (two).

Jeudy is on pace for the least productive season of his career, including a 2021 campaign in which an ankle sprain limited him to 10 games.

The Browns are a young team that, through three games, is clearly committed to its newest weapons as the present and future of the offense. Concepcion was a first-round pick this past offseason, Boston went in the second round of the same draft and Cleveland grabbed Fannin in the third round a year ago. Those three are the face of the passing game, while the 27-year-old Jeudy is an afterthought.

While Jeudy remains under contract through 2027 and carries a massive dead cap hit, the Browns can save money in 2026 by trading him. They would still be on the hook for $25 million next year but can use any savings toward investing in the fresher faces on their roster.

Jeudy is two years removed from a Pro Bowl campaign in which he racked up 1,229 yards, and he was a reliable option in Denver for the four years prior, albeit not to the heights originally expected of him as a first-round pick. He can step into an offense as a No. 2 or No. 3 receiver and contribute straight away. And should a team trade for him, it would only owe him $1.5 million in base salary this year and next, which makes him affordable for rebuilders and contenders alike and offers the flexibility to release him after 2026 if needed.

Here are five teams that could benefit from trading for Jeudy.

Kansas City Chiefs

While the Chiefs did not invest in any wide receiver help in the offseason, they have the look of an offense that could benefit from another weapon out wide or in the slot. Jeudy and Rashee Rice can both move around in the formation while Xavier Worthy remains a deep threat and YAC accumulator out wide. The depth in this group is minimal, and the top two have been just as active as pass-catchers as running back Kenneth Walker III and tight end Travis Kelce, so the wait for one of them to emerge as a go-to target continues (and may never end). With this team squarely back in the Super Bowl conversation, it needs to both maximize its wide receiver output and add insurance behind the starters in order to prevent late-season regression.

New England Patriots

The passing game in New England is a mess. The unforeseen ineptitude is mostly a product of Drake Maye appearing far from his usual self, but the wide receiver situation is not helping him. With A.J. Brown on injured reserve, it is abundantly clear that Maye does not have enough talent around him beyond his No. 1 weapon. Romeo Doubs has not panned out, and instead, Maye must rely on Mack Hollins and DeMario Douglas. Adding to the receiving unit was a priority in the offseason, and neither move is paying dividends right now. Things might look better once Brown returns, but even then, the Patriots might require a more capable second option than what they already possess.

San Francisco 49ers

Times are already desperate for the 49ers at wide receiver, and knowing their endless injury woes, things could go from bad to worse. This team can never have enough bodies. Ricky Pearsall is out for the season, Christian Kirk and Demarcus Robinson will miss at least another week apiece and Mike Evans is nursing a rib strain. Depth quickly became an issue in September, leading the 49ers to sign Brandin Cooks to their active roster and add Dante Pettis to the practice squad. They are scrambling for help as their strong 3-0 start feels tenuous.

Baltimore Ravens

Zay Flowers is a superstar in the making. Behind him, however, is a shallow receiving corps. Rashod Bateman has not been a game-changer outside of his outlier 2024 campaign, and while Ja'Kobi Lane is a promising rookie who could turn into the ideal running mate for Flowers in time, he is on injured reserve with a broken wrist and lacks experience as a first-year player. Baltimore remains in win-now mode during Lamar Jackson's prime and cannot afford to not have enough pieces around him in the passing attack. It would require an intra-division trade, but Jeudy is the kind of veteran talent who would shore up a thin crop of Ravens pass-catchers.

Las Vegas Raiders