The early portion of the Cleveland Browns schedule isn’t easy and a Week 2 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers puts the Browns in a tough spot. It’s going to be an uphill battle to avoid an 0-2 start, especially with former Browns franchise quarterback Baker Mayfield aiming to avoid his own 0-2 start and beat the Browns for the first time in his career.
If things don’t turn around quickly, the obvious first move to help alleviate the pain will be to bench Deshaun Watson. If that’s not enough, other veterans could see their way out of town right behind him, including wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, given the current state of the WR room.
During a recent episode of the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show, The Athletic’s Zac Jackson spoke about the recent Jimmy Horn Jr. signing. He believes that could be an easy signal that something bigger is afoot, namely a potential Jeudy trade over the next month or two.
“Jerry Jeudy is probably not going to be on this team in five or six weeks,” said Jackson.
Zac Jackson says the Jimmy Horn Jr. signing may be a sign that "Jerry Jeudy is probably not going to be on this team in 5 or 6 weeks."
1. Breaking news?
2. If the Browns trade their WR1, this is clear evidence of a tank season, is it not? https://t.co/LYFuYkPUL9 pic.twitter.com/auryvd7JXm
— Roberto Shenanigans (@Rob_Shenanigans) September 17, 2026
Jackson said that the Browns are obviously going nowhere, and if Jeudy can deliver some solid performances over the next few weeks, they could at least get a late-round draft pick for him. They may also have to eat some of the remaining money on his contract as he has a year left on his three-year, $52 million extension, although there is an out after this season.
Rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston both showed some early flashes of their potential in the Week 1 loss, and if they continue blossoming, trading Jeudy could wind up being a bit of a no-brainer. Signing Horn to the practice squad likely won’t be indicative of an upcoming Jeudy trade, but Boston and Concepcion could definitely push Jeudy out of town.
It’s far too early to start booking flights out of Cleveland for Jeudy, but for many fans and insiders, the writing is already on the wall with this Browns team. Some drastic changes are going to come unless the Browns find a way to start winning some games.
NEXT: Report: Browns Could Make Bold Move With Dillon Gabriel
