We’re only three games into the 2026 NFL season, so it might be a little premature to talk about the NFL Trade Deadline, but sometimes the numbers speak for themselves.
The Cleveland Browns have been a major topic of discussion ahead of Week 4 action, and for good reason. The Browns are 2-1; they host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football; Deshaun Watson has played well, and the young core players on their roster are showing early this season.
New head coach Todd Monken hasn’t gotten a ton of Coach of the Year buzz yet, but he can get his team to win against the Steelers. And one player who will really be in focus against the Steelers is former trade acquisition Jerry Jeudy, a wide receiver who is clearly out of favor with the current coaching staff.
His participation Thursday will be telling: Is he part of the Browns’ plans moving forward, or will the NFL trade deadline move him? If it’s the latter, he could be one of the biggest additions of the year.
Jerry Jeudy will be a fascinating player to watch at the 2026 NFL trade deadline
The Browns put the writing on the wall for Jeudy when they used a 1st-round pick on KC Concepcion in April, followed by a 2nd-round pick on Denzel Boston the next day.
And both of those players — especially Boston — have played well in the early stages of their rookie seasons.
Meanwhile, Jerry Jeudy has been removed from the offense while still putting his cardio on the field (if you know, you already know).
Jeudy has run 75 routes in three games this season. He has been targeted just five times, and just two catches for 26 yards. In the last two games — which the Browns won — Jeudy had just one target in the passing game.
Oh.
Our friends at Dawg Pound Daily are even saying that Jeudy is getting in the way of a player like Isaiah Bond getting more snaps. It looks like the team is ready to move on, but they haven’t used “benching” Jeudy yet.
However, only giving him 5 targets in three games? That speaks volumes.
Jeudy was a 1st-round pick of the Denver Broncos in the 2020 NFL Draft. He’s only 27 years old, but his contract is the only reason he’s still eating up snaps on the field for the Browns today.
Speaking of snaps, Jeudy is playing 57 percent of the Browns’ offensive snaps so far this year, a nearly 30 percent drop from the 85 percent he played last season. He hasn’t played less than 65 percent of the offensive snaps in a season since his time with the Denver Broncos.
Jerry Jeudy is still a capable (but risky) option for teams to trade
Of course, players find themselves on the trade market for good reason. The best-case scenario for a struggling team trading up at the NFL Trade Deadline is that a team with a sinking ship is trying to offload a decent player on an expiring contract, and they can only benefit from their struggles.
That’s not really the case with Jeudy.
He has shown in the past his immense talent and game-changing playmaking ability at the receiver position. His greatest asset has always been his route running and ability to create separation. The problem is, he struggles to drop a pass.
It’s great to be tomorrow, but can you catch the ball as it comes to you?
For a struggling team that needs wide receiver help — and there will be many– the possibility of adding Jeudy is an exciting one. If the Browns are willing to part with him for a Day 3 pick, it’s a no-brainer risk to take.
He’s under contract for a reasonable price next year anyway, and he’s shown he can take over games.
Things haven’t worked out between Jeudy and the Browns the past two years, but he could be a tremendous pickup for someone at the deadline.
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