We're only three games into the 2026 NFL season, so it might feel a little premature to talk about the NFL Trade Deadline, but sometimes the numbers speak for themselves.
The Cleveland Browns have been a major topic of discussion ahead of Week 4 action, and for good reason. The Browns are 2-1; they are hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football; Deshaun Watson has played well, and the young core of players on their roster has been showing out early this season.
New head coach Todd Monken isn't getting a ton of Coach of the Year buzz just yet, but he might if his team can win against the Steelers. And one player that will absolutely be in focus against the Steelers is former trade acquisition Jerry Jeudy, a wide receiver who has clearly fallen out of favor with the current coaching staff.
His involvement on Thursday will be telling: Is he part of the Browns' plans moving forward, or will he be moved by the NFL trade deadline? If it's the latter, he could be one of the biggest additions of the year.
Jerry Jeudy will be a fascinating player to watch at the 2026 NFL trade deadline
The Browns put the writing on the wall for Jeudy when they used a 1st-round pick on KC Concepcion in April, followed by a 2nd-round pick on Denzel Boston the very next day.
And both of those players -- especially Boston -- have played quite well in the early stages of their rookie seasons.
Meanwhile, Jerry Jeudy has been phased out of the offense while still getting his cardio in on the field (if you know, you know).
Jeudy has run 75 routes in three games this season. He's only been targeted five times, and has just two catches for 26 yards. Over the last two games -- which the Browns have won -- Jeudy has just one target in the passing game.
Yikes.
Our friends at Dawg Pound Daily are even saying that Jeudy is getting in the way of a player like Isaiah Bond getting more snaps. The team appears ready to move on, but they're not resorting to "benching" Jeudy just yet.
Still, giving him just 5 targets over a three-game span? That speaks volumes.
Jeudy was a 1st-round pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2020 NFL Draft. He's still just 27 years old, but his contract is the only reason he's still eating up snaps on the field for the Browns right now.
Speaking of snaps, Jeudy is playing 57 percent of the Browns' offensive snaps so far this year, nearly a 30 percent decrease from the 85 percent he played last season. He has never played less than 65 percent of the offensive snaps in a season dating back to even his time with the Denver Broncos.
Jerry Jeudy is still a capable (but risky) option for teams to trade for
Of course, players find themselves on the trade market for good reason. The best-case scenario for a contending team making a trade at the NFL Trade Deadline is that a team with a sinking ship is trying to offload a decent player on an expiring contract, and they can simply benefit from their struggles.
That's not exactly the case with Jeudy.
He's shown in the past his tremendous talent and game-changing playmaking ability at the receiver position. His greatest asset has always been his route running and ability to create separation. The problem is, he's struggled with dropping passes.
It's great to be wide-open, but can you catch the ball when it comes to you?
For a contending team in need of wide receiver help -- and there will be plenty -- the possibility of adding Jeudy is an exciting one. If the Browns are willing to part with him for a Day 3 pick, this is a no-brainer risk to take.
He's under contract for a reasonable price next year still, and he's shown that he can take over games.
Things haven't worked out between Jeudy and the Browns over the last two years, but he could be a massive pickup for someone at the deadline.
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