Aaron Anderson was signed by the Cleveland Browns.
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Last week, Cleveland Browns undrafted receiver Aaron Anderson’s hopes to earn a roster spot with the team were put onto thin ice after he hurt his shoulder and was waived with an injury designation by the team. But he cleared waivers and was, for the past week, still a candidate to return to the roster after he healed up, as he remained on the Browns’ injured reserve list. Alas, that possibility ended on Monday as Cleveland reached a settlement and moved Anderson off the IR, allowing him to be a free agent again.
As Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com wrote on Twitter/X, “#Browns have waived WR Aaron Anderson from IR.”
Anderson was a longshot to earn a spot after he was not drafted in April coming out of LSU. It’s a steep fall for a player who was once-much hyped, and had looked good in the Browns’ rookie minicamp in May.
Aaron Anderson Had Been a Hyped Prospect
Anderson was one of the top receiver recruits in the nation back in 2022, and according to 247 Sports, he ranked No. 5 at his position, behind the likes of the Bears’ Luther Burden and the Panthers‘ Tetairoa McMillan. He was the subject of a recruiting battle between Alabama and LSU, and eventually flipped his commitment to the Crimson Tide–but he struggled with injuries there and landed back with the Tigers in Baton Rouge.
But at 5-foot-8 and without blazing speed (he ran a 4.55-second 40-yard dash), Anderson never really established himself in college, and made the poor choice to enter the 2026 draft after a rough 2025 season (33 catches, 398 yards, no touchdowns). He went undrafted but signed with the Browns.
Browns Were Impressed With Aaron Anderson in Rookie Camp
In training camp, though, Cabot and fellow Browns writer Dan Labbe spoke on “The Orange and Brown Talk” podcast, and noted that Anderson was among the most impressive players in rookie camp.
Said Cabot: “We are also thinking Aaron Anderson that we liked. He caught pass after pass after pass. He is a little guy, but I will tell you what, he looked the part in rookie minicamp. He was a lot of fun to watch.”
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Browns Wide Receiver Room Showing Improvement
Indeed, some things have changed for the Browns here in the summer, though, as what was a moribund wide receiver room has suddenly been perked up by the addition of first-round pick KC Concepcion and second-rounder Denzel Boston–who has dazzled observers all summer with his size, strength and mobility. Boston has the makings of a WR1 on the outside, and Concepcion has flashed the speed that could make him a dangerous over-the-middle weapon.
Second-year man Isaiah Bond is said to be improving, and veteran Jerry Jeudy has strung together some good camp days. The Browns’ WR room is hardly overflowing, but it is not as desperate for bodies as it was last year.
That figures to be good news for the Browns and what was a league-worst offense for the past two seasons. But, it turns out, it is not great news for fringe roster candidates like Anderson.
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Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including "Fun City," "Before Wrigley became Wrigley," and "Facing Michael Jordan." More about Sean Deveney