The Cleveland Browns’ passing game has been a rollercoaster in 2025.
Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco opened the season as the starter and delivered mixed results before the Browns traded him to focus on developing their younger quarterbacks.
Now, the offense is in the hands of Dillon Gabriel, who has shown glimpses of promise but has largely struggled to find consistency.
Moving quarterbacks in the middle of the season can lead to confusion among the team’s pass-catchers, as well as frustration.
The two leading pass-catchers for the Browns this year are tight ends, Harold Fannin Jr. and David Njoku, leaving wideout Jerry Jeudy third on that list.
Fans were hoping Diontae Johnson would have been a big part of this passing attack, but he was ultimately released before the season.
Johnson recently had a tryout with the New York Giants, as analyst Fred Greetham noted on X, getting another opportunity to play in the NFL after things didn’t work out in Cleveland.
WR Diontae Johnson, who was released from the #Browns in training camp, got a tryout with the Giants https://t.co/Sy3poJUwsE
— Fred Greetham (@FredGreetham9) October 28, 2025
The Browns could have benefited from a player like Johnson, as his presence alone might have drawn defenders’ attention and given Jeudy more room to operate.
Fannin and Njoku are fine options in the passing game, of course, but Jeudy is supposed to be their No. 1 guy, not their tight ends.
It will be interesting to see what happens with this team in the back half of the season.
If the coaching staff gives the reins to Shedeur Sanders over Gabriel, this passing attack could change, leaning more in favor of the wideouts than the tight ends.
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