The Cleveland Browns have been cautioned to stay away from Tyreek Hill.
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The Cleveland Browns have been cautioned to stay away from Tyreek Hill.
Tyreek Hill is available but a Cleveland Browns legend is warning the team to stay away.
The Miami Dolphins released Hill this week, making him one of the more intriguing free agent targets. Hill has five first-team All-Pro selections and eight Pro Bowl nods on his resume. However, Hill is 31 and is coming off a dislocated knee and torn ACL. He suffered that injury in September of last season and could potentially miss the start of next season for any team looking to sign him.
While the idea of adding a receiver of Hill’s caliber is undeniably tempting for a Browns offense that has struggled to generate big plays, former Browns receiver and return man Josh Cribbs cautioned against it. Cribbs pointed to the serious knee injury Nick Chubb suffered in 2023 — when the star running back tore both his ACL and MCL — as a reminder of the risks involved. Chubb ultimately missed more than a year and didn’t look the same once he returned.
“We have to be smart, he just had a Nick Chubb-type injury,” Cribbs said on The Top Dawgs Show.
His co-hosts added that the Browns could potentially get him at a discount, but that didn’t persuade Cribbs.
“That’s what we’ve been doing a lot,” Cribbs said. “We did that with a few guys. It didn’t pan out too well.”
Browns Expect Bounce Back From Jerry Jeudy
One receiver the Browns took a gamble on is Jerry Jeudy. Cleveland traded for Jeudy ahead of the 2024 season, quickly signing him to an extension following the move. Initially, it looked like a steal for the Browns. Jeudy collected a career-high 90 catches for 1,229 yards and four touchdowns.
However, Jeudy struggled during his second season in Cleveland, finishing with 50 receptions for 602 yards and two touchdowns. The Browns are likely to add more receiving threats but Jeudy is expected to return and be a significant part of the offense.
“Despite the rough year, Jeudy will be back with the Browns in 2026 with the expectation that he’ll rebound amid some quarterback stability. The Browns haven’t identified their starter for 2026 yet, but they’re confident they’ll be better at QB than in 2025, when third-round pick Dillon Gabriel went 1-5 and fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders went 3-4,” Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com said. “Jeudy has two years left on his three-year extension worth $17.5 million a year, but the Browns have an out after 2026, given that the dead cap charge for 2027 would only be about $7.15 million. Of course, that will be a moot point if Jeudy has the comeback year the Browns are hoping for.”
Browns Looking for Quarterback Stability
The most significant question facing new head coach Todd Monken is who will start at quarterback next season. Monken was brought in to revive an offense in Cleveland that averaged just 262.1 yards and 16.4 points last season.
“There’s a reason why I was hired here,” he said. “Let’s not kid ourselves. I was hired to become elite on offense and that’s what we’re going to fight every day to be, and I’m fired up because I think we have a chance to really take off. I think the time is right now to take off and really build it the way you want, so you’re consistently competing for championships.”
Shedeur Sanders started the final seven games last season and is a likely frontrunner. He went 3-4 in his starts, passing for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel are also under contract for next season.