The Cleveland Browns are reportedly cutting wide receiver Cedric Tillman, ending his run with the team before he even made it to his fourth year. This isn’t just some minor roster shuffle, either. ESPN broke the news Thursday morning that the former third-round pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, taken at No. 74 out of Tennessee, is out. It’s a tough break for a guy who, on paper, had some potential.
A Flash of Potential, But Not Enough
Last season, in 2025, Tillman actually played in 13 games. He pulled down 21 receptions for 270 yards, averaging a respectable 12.9 yards per catch, and scored two touchdowns. Those aren’t world-beating numbers, but they show he could contribute when healthy. Over his full three years with the Browns, the 6-foot-3 receiver averaged 23.7 receptions for 277.7 yards and 1.7 touchdowns per season. Not quite the impact you want from a high draft pick, but you could see flashes. The real story, though, is why those numbers never fully materialized into consistent production.
A Non-Stop Battle With Injuries
Man, Tillman’s tenure in Cleveland was just a brutal run of injuries. It started early, even before the pros. In his final college season at Tennessee in 2022, he missed six games because of a high ankle sprain. Then, the NFL grind hit hard. He sat out three games in the 2023 regular season with a hip injury. Later that year, he missed the AFC wild-card round playoff game against the Houston Texans due to a concussion. That concussion issue flared up again in 2024, sidelining him for the last six games of the season. And just last year, in 2025, a hamstring injury kept him out of four games. It’s a pretty staggering list of setbacks for any player, let alone one trying to establish himself.
The Browns’ wide receiver room isn’t hurting for options either. They’ve got Jerry Jeudy, Isaiah Bond, and two exciting top-40 draft picks in KC Concepcion, taken at No. 24 out of Texas A&M, and Denzel Boston, pick No. 39 out of Washington. With Deshaun Watson officially named the starting quarterback over second-year Shedeur Sanders for the upcoming season, announced by head coach Todd Monken, Cleveland is clearly moving forward with their established guys and new blood.
Cleveland wraps up their preseason tonight at home against the New England Patriots, then it’s time for real football. They kick off the 2026 regular season on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 13. They’re making these tough calls now to finalize the roster, trying to get every piece in place for the long haul.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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