Roster moves always involve some risk. When a team cuts a young player to make room, it opens the door for 31 other teams to claim him, and plenty of promising prospects are lost that way. Sometimes the gamble pays off and the player makes it through untouched. That was the case for one Browns rookie this week.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported the Browns have brought back 7th-round TE Carsen Ryan to the practice squad.
“#Browns have signed 7th round TE Carsen Ryan back to the practice squad after he cleared waivers,” Cabot wrote.
#Browns have signed 7th round TE Carsen Ryan back to the practice squad after he cleared waivers.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) October 28, 2026
Carsen Ryan’s release was tied to the quarterback room. On Monday, the Browns activated Dillon Gabriel from injured reserve and waived Ryan to clear a roster spot, which left them carrying 4 quarterbacks on the 53-man roster.
That decision came with a cost, and Ryan was the player who paid it. Waiving him meant any team could have claimed him, but he went unclaimed, so the Browns were able to bring him back without losing him for nothing.
Keeping him in the building was clearly a priority. Ryan has spent the season as a depth piece behind Harold Fannin Jr. and Blake Whiteheart, and he missed practice earlier this month with a calf injury. Signing him back right away suggests the coaching staff still sees value in his development.
The tight end room has been a talking point lately. Fannin just set the franchise record for catches by a tight end in his first 2 seasons, after his big catch set up the game-winning field goal against the Tennessee Titans.
Ryan gives the Browns an option if they need one. Practice squad players can be elevated to the active roster for up to 3 games in a season, so the Browns can bring him back on game days without giving up another roster spot.
The team has used that flexibility often this year. Cleveland has shuffled its practice squad nearly every week to deal with injuries, and earlier this month it signed and then released another tight end, Devin Culp.
Still, the bigger story is the decision that started this. Carrying 4 quarterbacks has put pressure on the rest of the roster, and the November 10 trade deadline could bring a change if the Browns decide to move Shedeur Sanders or Gabriel. If that happens, Ryan could find his way back to the 53-man roster before long.
For now, the Browns get to keep a young player they like while maintaining their quarterback depth. As they prepare for a showdown in Pittsburgh with 1st place on the line, that is about as good as this move could have turned out.
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