Cleveland Browns fans can expect plenty of news this offseason about their former players signing with other teams. Most of them will be well-known names from this year’s squad moving to another NFL club as free agents.
Other players and other leagues are preparing for their seasons as well. A brand-new nearby team has landed a former Cleveland player.
Former Browns defender Tony Fields II has signed with the Columbus Aviators of the UFL.
“Aviators signed middle linebacker Tony Fields II, per the wire. Fields III was an All-Big 12 selection at West Virginia in 2020 and was a fifth-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. He appeared in all 17 games for the Cleveland Browns during both the 2022 and 2023 seasons and totaled 82 tackles over that span,” Aidan Burke posted on X.
#Aviators signed middle linebacker Tony Fields II, per the wire.
Fields III was an All-Big 12 selection at West Virginia in 2020 and was a 5th-round selection in the 2021 #NFL Draft. He appeared in all 17 games for the Cleveland #Browns during both the 2022 & 2023 seasons and… pic.twitter.com/ZgcPmrLaG7
— Aidan Burke (@UFLCenter) February 24, 2026
The Aviators will begin their inaugural season in the spring league in 2026. Former NFL and Ohio State wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. is their head coach.
Fields was selected by the Browns with the No. 153 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. After playing 10 games as a rookie, he played 17 games in each of the next two seasons.
In 2022, Fields made 48 combined tackles and returned his lone interception for a touchdown. The following year, he had 34 combined tackles and returned a fumble for a TD.
Fields injured his ankle in the 2024 season opener. He was placed on injured reserve and was later released. He signed with the Los Angeles Rams practice squad and was among the final cuts before the 2025 season.
The UFL provides players like Fields a showcase to prove themselves to NFL teams. Last year, more than 40 former UFL players made an NFL opening day roster, with Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey and Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates among the best known.
The Browns are in danger of losing linebacker Devin Bush as a free agent this offseason, so perhaps a reunion could be in the cards with Fields. Cleveland will have a new defensive coordinator since he was last with the team, as former Atlanta Falcons passing game coordinator Mike Rutenberg is taking over for Jim Schwartz.
A team like the Browns can use talent wherever it can find it, so if it isn’t Fields, perhaps another UFL player or two can make an impression when the league begins play in late March.
NEXT: Browns Are Adding Former NFL Head Coach To Staff
