With the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation settled, short of some roster-deadline manipulations, fans turned their attention to other positional battles, particularly at wide receiver, where local hero Luke Floriea was thought to have a chance to make the team. The Ohio native had some good preseason games, and the vast support from the hometown crowd was trying to push him over the finish line.
But, as with many similar NFL underdog stories, it was not to be. Floriea was not included on the 53-man roster on Sunday, and it has since been reported that the Browns will not sign him back to the practice squad, either.
It was a heartbreaking outcome for many people besides Floriea, and head coach Todd Monken recently opened up about leaving him off the roster, saying the Ohio native did everything he could.
“On the one hand, I was happy that he was a part of our team for the short time that we had him. All he did was work every single day, and then to have the opportunity to have a couple of touchdown catches in the stadium that he was fired up about. So that wasn’t an easy conversation, but it was awesome, just his outlook. He gave everything he had in the time he was here with us,” Monken said.
In the end, the Browns chose Malachi Corley, who can contribute on special teams, as their sixth wide receiver instead of Floriea, who does not. In fact, the Browns have already re-signed wideout Kole Wilson, who has shown talent as a kickoff returner, to the practice squad.
It is very difficult for an NFL team to keep a one-dimensional player on the back end of the roster, no matter how talented, inspiring, or popular he may be. At 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, Floriea’s roles in the league would be limited as is, but on a rebuilding team like the Browns, it is even more difficult to find a spot for him. That became especially true after Cleveland used two of its first three picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.
They, along with Corley, Jerry Jeudy, Isaiah Bond and Tylan Wallace, will be Cleveland’s active wide receivers to start the season. The Browns also added former New Orleans Saints wideout Bub Means to the practice squad.
As of Tuesday morning, Floriea has not signed with another NFL team, but based on the determination he has shown to date, he is unlikely to give up on his dream that easily.
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