Tag: Browns

Nov 16, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive end AJ Epenesa (57) warms up prior to the game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Eagles sign DE A.J. Epenesa after deal with Browns falls through

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Philadelphia Eagles signed A.J. Epenesa on Wednesday after the former Buffalo Bills defensive end failed a physical with the Cleveland Browns.

The Eagles did not announce terms of the contract with Epenesa, who in March agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $5 million with Cleveland, according to reports. The Browns opted out after Epenesa, 27, failed his medical evaluation, per reports.

Epenesa played in 16 regular-season games (two starts) for the Bills in 2025 and totaled 32 tackles, 2.5 sacks, nine quarterback hits, two interceptions and one fumble recovery. He added two tackles in two playoff games.

Buffalo selected Epenesa in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Iowa.

For his career, Epenesa has amassed 135 tackles, 24 sacks, 29 tackles for loss, 53 QB hits, four interceptions, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 21 passes defensed in 91 regular-season games (19 starts). He also has 17 tackles in 14 playoff games (three starts).

Philadelphia also signed guard Michael Jordan on Wednesday and waived linebackers Chandler Martin and Isiah King.

Jordan, 28, started nine of the 11 games he played last season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has appeared in 78 games (49 starts) for the Cincinnati Bengals (2019-20), Carolina Panthers (2021-22), New England Patriots (2024) and Bucs.

The Eagles also released three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Za’Darius Smith from their reserve/retired list, which indicated he might want to continue playing. Smith, 33, played five games (two starts) for Philadelphia last season before retiring on Oct. 13. He had 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hits.

For his career, Smith has 343 tackles, 70.5 sacks, 87 tackles for loss, 176 QB hits, 10 forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 145 regular-season games (98 starts) for the Baltimore Ravens (2015-18), Green Bay Packers (2019-21), Minnesota Vikings (2022), Cleveland Browns (2023-24), Detroit Lions (2024) and Eagles.

–Field Level Media

Jun 9, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver KC Concepcion (1) catches the ball during mandatory mini camp at Cross Country Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Browns sign 1st-round pick WR KC Concepcion

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The Cleveland Browns signed first-round draft pick KC Concepcion to his four-year rookie contract on Wednesday.

Concepcion, the 24th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, will receive $19.7 million in fully guaranteed money that includes a $10.8 million signing bonus. The deal also includes a fifth-year team option for the wide receiver from Texas A&M.

Concepcion, 21, recorded 61 catches for 919 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for 75 yards and a score in 13 games in 2025, his first season with the Aggies after spending his previous two with North Carolina State.

Concepcion caught 124 passes for 1,299 yards and 16 touchdowns, and rushed for two scores, in 25 games over two seasons for the Wolfpack. He was the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year in 2023 after setting program records for a freshman with 71 receptions and 10 TDs.

–Field Level Media

Browns guard Joel Bitonio heads in after practice July 23, 2025.

Long-time Browns G Joel Bitonio retires after 12 seasons

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Seven-time Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday after 12 seasons with the Cleveland Browns.

Bitonio, 34, officially called it a career after starting all 17 games in each of the past two seasons and all 178 in which he has appeared since being selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Nevada.

“Truthfully, as time passed and my career kept going, there was never a point where I could envision myself in a different uniform,” Bitonio wrote on the team’s website. “Wearing that orange helmet and being part of this franchise — from getting drafted to signing three contracts — I felt a loyalty to the Browns, and it gave me a sense of pride to represent a fan base who is consistently loyal to us. I started the job here, and once I got to a certain point, I knew I wanted to finish the job in Cleveland.

“Now that job is finished. After 12 seasons of wearing No. 75 in brown and orange, I have officially decided to retire.”

Bitonio made the Pro Bowl in each season from 2018-24 and was named a first-team All-Pro in both 2021 and 2022. He also was named the Browns’ Walter Payton Man of the Year.

Bitonio was the longest-tenured player on the Browns until his contract voided in March.

“Joel Bitonio set the standards for on-field excellence, professionalism and loyalty during his 12-year career with our organization,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said in a statement. “Few have achieved as much as Joel has during his 178 starts. …With being the best interior lineman at his peak, we applaud a career that should be Canton-bound.

“Everyone knows Joel’s on-field accomplishments, but he was able to elevate the entire building during his tenure because he is a Hall of Fame person. He was our longest-tenured captain, a Walter Payton Man of the Year and his dedication to Northeast Ohio both within the walls of 76 Lou Groza Boulevard and beyond is aspirational to us all. Although Joel is now entering the next phase of his life, he will always be Browns family. We excitedly look forward to the day when he is inducted into our Ring of Honor and a Dawg Pound captain.”

–Field Level Media

Jun 12, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, left, and managing and principal partner Dee Haslam, middle, and managing and principal partner Jimmy Haslam watch practice during mini camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Haslams earmark $130M to Tennessee, business school

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Cleveland Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam have made a record $130 million “investment” in the University of Tennessee, the school announced Thursday.

Despite the Haslams’ investments in the Browns and other sports franchises, this funding is not directed toward the Volunteers’ athletic programs.

Instead, a university news release said the donation “will bolster student success and faculty recruitment at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and its Haslam College of Business while strengthening the role of the university as a leader in higher education.”

“We are honored to make this investment in UT and the Haslam College of Business,” Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a joint statement. “The university is experiencing extraordinary momentum, and we are proud to help elevate its national reputation, attract world-class faculty and support the next generation of leaders — all while keeping the best and brightest here in Tennessee.”

Jimmy Haslam, 72, is a Knoxville native and a Tennessee alumnus. His younger brother, Bill Haslam, is the former state governor and the owner of the NHL’s Nashville Predators.

This increases the Haslams’ financial contribution to the university to $195 million.

Of the new funding, $100 million will be set aside for the Haslam College of Business on faculty recruitment as well as student success initiatives, graduate student scholarships and the undergraduate honors program.

About 30% of Tennessee’s undergraduate population is enrolled in the business college.

“This landmark gift from Dee and Jimmy Haslam demonstrates a deep commitment to ensuring the next generation of Tennesseans has the opportunity to reach their full potential,” Gov. Bill Lee said in a news release. “By expanding opportunity for talented students, supporting world-class faculty and strengthening Tennessee’s workforce pipeline, this investment will help ensure that the Volunteer State remains a place where innovation, opportunity and service thrive.”

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns Jared Verse (8) runs a drill as teammates defensive end Julian Okwara, Khordae Sydnor, Alex Wright and Adin Huntington look on during team OTAs at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus of the Cleveland Browns in Berea, Ohio on June 2, 2026.

Browns’ Jared Verse focused on ‘best version of me,’ not replacing Myles Garrett

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Jared Verse admitted Wednesday that he initially found the blockbuster trade that sent him from the Los Angeles Rams to the Cleveland Browns on Monday “upsetting,” but after speaking to a pair of former teammates, the Pro Bowl edge rusher felt it was “time to work.”

Verse, 25, the 2024 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler in each of his first two seasons, was acquired in exchange for superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and reigning single-season sack holder.

The Browns also acquired a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a conditional 2029 third-round pick. If Garrett is dealt to another AFC North team, the 2029 pick will become a first-round pick, per an ESPN report.

“I’m not here to fill (Garrett’s) shoes,” Verse said after his first practice with the Browns. “I’m here to bring my own. … I’m here to work, and I’m here to be the best version of me. And the best version of me is going to be the best defensive player in the league. And the best defensive player in the league is going to play for the best defense in the league.”

What also helped Verse come to grips with the trade was how Cleveland made it clear that he had to be included in the deal.

“They’re not going to get a half-finished product or something you got to work on,” said Verse, who was the No. 19 overall pick of the Rams in the 2024 NFL Draft. “This is going to be the best version of me. Everything I’ve done this offseason, it’s going to be great.”

Verse was on the practice field on Wednesday afternoon in his No. 8 jersey, having arrived late Tuesday afternoon. The native of Dayton, Ohio, only took part in individual drills, but drew high praise from new Browns coach Todd Monken.

“He’s going to fit us like a glove,” Monken said. “… Just be yourself. There’s only one of you. Myles is already taken. And he’s an elite football player. We all know that. Jared, just be you. I see his track ascending. I see a world of upside by the way he’s wired. We’re jacked to have him.”

Verse, who posted 12 sacks, 71 tackles and five forced fumbles over 34 games (22 starts) with the Rams, is under contract for at least the next two seasons. He has a $4.1 million cap hit this year and is eligible for a fifth-year option in 2028.

–Field Level Media

Coach Todd Monken talks to the press at the Browns OTA camp in Berea on May 20, 2026.

Browns coach Todd Monken: Drafting QB Brendan Sorsby is ‘slippery slope’

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First-year head coach Todd Monken anticipates there could be peril on the periphery if the Cleveland Browns select Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby in a potential NFL supplemental draft should he lose college eligibility because of gambling.

Monken, stressing that he was speaking for himself and not the Browns organization, called the decision a “slippery slope” given Sorsby’s situation regardless of his proven talent and skill level.

“I don’t think we’re in a position to want to go down that road,” Monken said at the Browns Foundation Golf Tournament. “That’s my opinion. That’s not (general manager Andrew Berry’s).

“I like the quarterbacks that we have. I think that’s a slippery slope when you go down that, irrespective of talent, right?” Monken continued. “In terms of the situation he’s (put) himself in, we all know what that is. He put himself in that situation. And we’ve seen in other sports with players that have been banned for life from playing in professional sports.

“But from my end of it, kind of a tough angle to go down that road and think that’s going to be your franchise quarterback if he’s ever eligible to even play in the NFL.”

Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati this offseason and was the Red Raiders’ projected starter for 2026. ESPN ranked Sorsby the No. 1 overall transfer in this year’s class.

But Sorsby has been fighting for his college eligibility after revelations of rampant betting led the NCAA to revoke his eligibility in April and deny his request for reinstatement in May. The NCAA prohibits athletes and employees from wagering on NCAA events in which a championship is held, which includes football.

Sorsby is seeking an injunction against the NCAA to play in 2026, but should that fail, an option could be to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft.

The Browns’ Berry was asked on Tuesday about Sorsby and was not as absolute in his answer as Monken was.

“No different than we do every year,” Berry said. “We’ll do the work on all the prospects, and then we’ll make the appropriate decision for the organization.”

The Browns’ quarterback depth chart includes veteran Deshaun Watson and second-year players Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel as well as 2026 sixth-round draft pick Taylen Green.

A judge in Lubbock County, Texas, did not make a ruling on Sorby’s request for a temporary injunction after a hearing Monday. Judge Ken Curry requested additional documentation be provided before he renders his verdict, which could happen in the upcoming days, according to ESPN.

Sorsby’s attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, requested a decision be made by June 15 to allow Sorsby a window to determine whether to apply for the NFL supplement draft, which carries a June 22 deadline.

Curry heard arguments from Sorsby’s team and the NCAA as to why Sorsby should be allowed to return to the field after allegedly making thousands of impermissible bets on college and pro sports — including his own team while at Indiana.

Sorsby placed at least 40 bets on Indiana football as a redshirt freshman with the Hoosiers, court documents revealed.

Those ranged from $1 to $114 and totaled at least $850 in September and October of 2022, while he was redshirting. Sorsby said in a letter to the NCAA that he never bet in a game he played in, nor ever bet against his team.

The quarterback wagered about $90,000 over a four-year period using sportsbook accounts registered to a family member and friends, with 2,900 bets totaling more than $30,000 coming from June 2022 to December 2023 alone. Last week, Sorsby revealed that he completed a 35-day, in-patient rehab stay in Arizona to treat “a diagnosed gambling addiction and anxiety disorder.”

NCAA attorney Taylor Askew said on Monday that if an injunction is granted, the collegiate governing body would in effect become the first sports league in the U.S. that could not punish its athletes from betting on its own contests.

The NFL supplemental draft was last held in 2019. Created in 1977, it was launched to give players with “sudden eligibility changes” a ladder from college to the NFL. However, the league would likely closely review the investigation into Sorsby’s off-field activity before determining whether to hold the special draft in July.

–Field Level Media

Aug 23, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) leaves the field before the game between the Browns and the Los Angeles Rams at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Browns GM: Myles Garrett trade about goals, not tanking

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Browns general manager Andrew Berry resisted computing whether Cleveland “won” the trade finalized Monday night sending Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for defensive lineman Jared Verse and other assets.

Because only one team parted with a player considered a near lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and in the past refused to even discuss dealing away one of the NFL’s all-time leaders in sacks, Berry understands if fans are caught thinking, “Why now?”

“It got to a certain point where we looked at what the trade details were, and we asked ourselves, ‘OK, do we hold here, regardless of how emotionally right it felt, or do we ultimately make a decision that will benefit the team in the short and long term?’” Berry explained Tuesday.

With the first-round pick from the Rams, the Browns have tandem picks in the top 32 in the 2027 draft. He said the Rams pushed persistently to acquire the All-Pro defensive end and met the detailed criteria the franchise set for any deal. Even as talks progressed, Berry said he wasn’t confident a trade would happen.

The deal finally came together when the Rams added to their offer, knowing Verse plus picks put them in what Berry described as “a very narrow universe to satisfy” Cleveland’s demands. The Rams added a 2028 second-round pick and 2029 third-round pick to turn the light green on the trade.

Berry said suggestions the Browns are “tanking” the upcoming season are unfounded. Garrett is only 30 and had his most productive season as a pro in 2025, but the Browns viewed the trade return as more than fair because of how highly they rated Verse.

“All of our goals are still in front of us,” Berry said. “We have an excellent defense with really good players at all three levels. Jared is an outstanding — he’s one of the best players in the league. We’re excited to have him as part of our team.”

Verse is under contract for at least the next two seasons. He has a $4.1 million cap hit this year and is eligible for a fifth-year option in 2028.

Garrett’s cap hit was only $8.14 million for 2026 but explodes to $57.99 million in 2029 and 2030 on the four-year, $160 million extension he signed last year.

The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year played nine seasons and 134 career games and recorded 412 career tackles, 125.5 sacks, 23 forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries with the Browns.

He owns the NFL records for sacks in a season with 23 last season and no player under 30 has recorded more in a career in league history.

He became the first player in NFL history — dating to sacks becoming an official stat in 1982 — to record at least 12 sacks for six consecutive seasons (2020-25) and is the only NFL player to record at least 10 sacks in each of the past eight seasons (2018-25).

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) celebrates as he begins his chase for the NFL sack record after sacking Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sept. 7, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Reports: Browns finalizing trade with Rams for All-Pro DE Myles Garrett

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The Cleveland Browns are finalizing a blockbuster trade which would send five-time All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, according to reports by ESPN and NFL Network.

The Rams are reportedly sending two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round draft pick and other draft compensation to Cleveland in the deal.

It only adds more fuel to the fire of the Rams’ pursuit of a home Super Bowl appearance next February at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

The Browns are selling high on Garrett, 30, their No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft who broke the NFL’s single-season sacks record last season with 23. The two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time Pro Bowler has 412 tackles, 149 tackles for loss and 125.5 sacks over nine seasons. That sack total is tied for 20th in official NFL history and third amongst active players behind Von Miller (138.5) and Cameron Jordan (132).

Upon the trade being finalized, Garrett will be under the Rams’ control through the 2030 season. He signed a four-year, $160 million extension last offseason with Cleveland. That deal included a no-trade clause which Garrett reportedly waived to make this deal happen.

Garrett had not participated in Cleveland’s offseason program or had a single face-to-face interaction with new Browns coach Todd Monken, ESPN reported.

ESPN reported that discussions surrounding this deal ramped up after the conclusion of April’s NFL Draft. While the Rams were initially offering only draft compensation, the Browns were reportedly adamant that Verse, who has 12 sacks and 22 TFLs in two seasons since Los Angeles used a first-round pick on him in 2024, be included in the deal.

–Field Level Media

Shedeur Sanders throws at the Browns OTA in Berea on May 27, 2026.

Shedeur Sanders shatters record with $17.7M in group licensing income

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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders earned a record $17.7 million in group licensing income, according to an annual report filed by the NFL Players Association.

Sanders shattered the previous single-season record, which was held by Tom Brady in 2021-22 ($9.5 million).

According to Front Office Sports, Group licensing accounts for deals that involve six of more players. Common examples include jerseys and trading cards.

As a result, that $17.7 million figure does not even include his personal endorsement deals with Beats by Dre, Gatorade and others.

The rookie quarterback played in eight games (seven starts) for the Browns last season, throwing for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 169 yards and a touchdown.

The next-highest earner for group licensing was fellow rookie Travis Hunter ($12.8 million) of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who was teammates with Sanders in college at Jackson State and Colorado. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes earned $8 million.

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) throws a pass in the first quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.

Deion Sanders: Son ‘went through hell’ as Browns rookie

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Shedeur Sanders “went through hell” during the draft process and his 2025 rookie season with the Browns, according to his father.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders blamed what he said was untruthful reporting during his interview with “The Barbershop” posted on YouTube on Thursday.

“When he takes off his shirt, I see the scars on his back that he’s been through hell, but he’s made it through hell,” Deion Sanders said of his son, a quarterback. “He kept going and he matured, not like he was a child, but he matured spiritually,” he said.

The 24-year-old Shedeur, he added, came to understand, “You can’t force this. If it ain’t your time, it ain’t your time.”

Considered a first-round prospect heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders slipped to Day 3 when Cleveland finally took him in the fifth round (144th overall).

“It was some ignorant things came out about him predraft and all that, and that was a lie,” Deion Sanders said. “Like, he would never go into a meeting with headphones on. He would never go into a meeting unprepared. Like, that’s just not who he is. There’s no way he could accomplish the things he accomplished without being prepared.”

Deion Sanders said the negative reporting continued in Cleveland.

“A lot of things that was said … it bothered me, but it didn’t bother him,” he said. “He just wanted the opportunity to get on the grass and do his thing.”

Shedeur Sanders started seven games as a rookie, completing 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 169 yards and one TD and earned a Pro Bowl invitation.

Deion Sanders said he wants to meet with new Browns coach Todd Monken to discuss his son’s development, having coached him in high school and in college.

“I want to meet him because I think it’s vital that as a coach, not the dad, I can tell him a few things about (Shedeur), how to get him going,” Deion Sanders said. “That wasn’t asked of me a year ago. I don’t understand it. Even a guy like Travis Hunter being drafted to Jacksonville and I’ve had him for the last three (years), don’t you think you would want to talk to me to ask me what gets him going and what backs him off? You would want to know that.

“So, I anticipate, and I can’t wait to have that conversation with Coach Monken.”

The Browns enter the offseason with four quarterbacks on the roster with Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Deshaun Watson and 2026 sixth-round pick Taylen Green out of Arkansas.

–Field Level Media