Longtime Cleveland Browns offensive guard Wyatt Teller has announced he won’t return to the franchise for the 2026 season. In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday, Teller and wife Carly bid farewell to the city and organization after seven years.
“Cleveland will always have a special place in our hearts. As Always…go Browns!” the message ended by saying.
#Browns free agent-to-be Wyatt Teller and his wife Carly just posted a farewell to Cleveland on IG. One of the top guards on the market, Teller is headed elsewhere after seven seasons with the team. pic.twitter.com/YcifwqTSfu
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 18, 2026
Teller seems to be leaving the team on good terms, but it’s one of many shakeups as the Browns transition from Kevin Stefanski to new head coach Todd Monken. His contract is set to void next month.
The Buffalo Bills traded Teller to Cleveland ahead of the 2019 season. With the Browns, he appeared in 101 games with 94 starts. Over that span, he made three Pro Bowls and was twice named second-team All-Pro while being considered one of the NFL’s best guards. Injuries have been a factor the last two years, with Teller missing eight combined games.
Turning 32 in November, Teller will hit free agency and look for his next team. The Steelers could have a hole at left guard should Isaac Seumalo departs but if Pittsburgh chooses not to re-sign him, it doesn’t make sense to pivot to a player of similar age and resume like Teller. But he’ll likely find a robust market in free agency with few quality starting offensive linemen.
For his career, Teller has appeared in 13 regular-season games against Pittsburgh with a 6-7 record versus the Steelers. He was also part of Cleveland’s 2020 playoff upset win over Pittsburgh.
Cleveland’s offensive line has a chance to feature an entirely new front five compared to the start of the 2025 season. In Week 1, the team’s tackles were Jack Conklin and Dawand Jones, and the guards were Joe Bitonio and Teller, with Ethan Pocic at center. Conklin has been habitually hurt, while Jones suffered a season-ending knee injury. Pocic was lost with his own severe injury. Bitonio’s status is unclear. He just pushed back his contract void date in what appears to be an attempt to give the franchise more time to resolve his contract, but it remains possible he exits, too.
Even with a strong 2025 rookie class, Cleveland must spend most of its resources on the offense. Quarterback remains a major question, there’s little at receiver, and the offensive line needs a complete overhaul. All while the franchise adjusts to losing a quality defensive coordinator in Jim Schwartz, willing to sit out the year rather than coach the Browns after being passed over for the head coach job.
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