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Browns Rumors: Cleveland May Ship $52M Star This 2026 Season

After a successful 2026 NFL Draft this offseason, the latest Cleveland Browns rumors predict the team could be open to moving star WR Jerry Jeudy during the season. Cleveland drafted two high-stakes wide receivers, Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion, to overhaul its offensive pass-attack, signaling a shift to a more youthful unit. With head coach Todd Monken taking over, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jeudy moved at some point during the 2026 season. The receiver is still under contract through the 2027 campaign, but there’s a chance he might lose his starting job before then, which puts the pressure on the organization to evaluate him for his next deal.

Originally selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the former Alabama product spent the first three years with the Denver Broncos. Following a blockbuster trade between Cleveland and Denver in 2024, the wideout hauled in a career-high 90 catches for 1,229 yards and scored four touchdowns. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to replicate the same stats the following season, where he had half of those numbers, recording 602 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns, while having the second-most drops in the league at 10.

Browns Rumors

Main Photo: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Browns Rumors: Cleveland May Ship $52M Star This 2026 Season

Another Disaster Inbound?

While the Browns won’t give up on the former first-round pick entirely, the organization could be forced to move him. If the team sustains another losing year under Shedeur Sanders/Deshaun Watson, they could get solid draft capital in return. An in-season trade makes sense because why would they hold on to their best receiver if they’re not winning a championship for at least another five years? This doesn’t mean that Sanders or Watson aren’t capable, but Cleveland has continued their cycle of rebuilding.

Ever since former starter Baker Mayfield left the Browns, the team hasn’t found success in finding the next offensive leader. Boston and Concepcion are the future of this new roster, so here are three teams that could generate interest in the WR during the 2026 season.

Potential Destinations

Carolina Panthers

Jeudy joining Carolina will be fully dependent on how Xavier Legette performs this upcoming season. Jalen Coker signed a new deal this offseason, while Tetairoa McMillan is set to break out, so this means there’s not much room for Legette to move in this offense. The Panthers also drafted a high-stakes, versatile WR Chris Brazzell, which sums up this pass-attack. Should the Panthers be looking for one more upgrade before the postseason, this trade appears fair.

Carolina could give Legette a chance to restart his NFL journey while they bring in the former Pro Bowler for a chance to win a Super Bowl.

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are betting their offensive future on Luther Burden and Rome Odunze after trading DJ Moore this offseason. While they selected Zavion Thomas in this year’s draft, the team also brought in Kalif Raymond due to his familiarity with former Lions head coach Ben Johnson. However, is this the complete WR package? Not necessarily; the Bears are missing an experienced playmaker, which they miss in Moore.

Let’s see if the Bears can acquire Jeudy to see how he can fare as the new trio paired with Odunze and Burden. He might be the missing piece for Caleb Williams’ pass-game to push for a championship.

Kansas City Chiefs

With Rashee Rice’s future in doubt, the Kansas City Chiefs have one of the most inexperienced receiving units. They look more like a rebuild offense than a champion they were a few years ago. Xavier Worthy is showing signs of improvement, but Tyquan Thornton and Jalen Royals can only go so far to help exceed expectations consistently. Maybe Jeudy could raise the ceiling for Patrick Mahomes, who is coming off a season-ending injury last year.

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