The Cleveland Browns have won just two games this season, but real smoke is developing around rumors that the team may trade for an elite wide receiver despite its ongoing struggles.
ESPN Cleveland radio personalities Tony Rizzo and Chopz linked the Browns to a deal for Garrett Wilson of the New York Jets on Wednesday, October 22.
“There’s a lot of wide receiver chatter out there with the Browns, and [general manager Andrew Berry] is sniffing around. Garrett Wilson’s name is popping up right now,” Chopz told Rizzo. “That seems like such an Andrew Berry move, because Garrett Wilson seems to be on the outs in New York because they have a new regime.”
Then, on Thursday, a social media post Wilson made about Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders on September 2 resurfaced and began to get strong traction on X.
“Bra shedeur is one of them ones at qb.. everything look easy,” Wilson wrote.
Shedeur Sanders, Other Young Browns QBs Will Need Player Like Garrett Wilson to Attain NFL Success
GettyNew York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
Wilson reads as an interesting potential trade target for the Browns given that he just inked a four-year extension worth $130 million in New York, which begins in 2027.
That means he is still relatively inexpensive based on his production, which has been more than impressive considering all of the coaching, coordinator and quarterback issues/changes he’s dealt with across his three-plus years with the Jets.
Wilson has missed exactly one game in his NFL career to this point, and the former Offensive Rookie of the Year (2022) has never failed to exceed 1,000 yards receiving as a professional. He also averaged 91 catches and nearly five TDs per campaign through 2024.
The question is why should the Browns make a move for a player like Wilson now, as they are clearly in a rebuild phase and currently starting five of the seven rookies they drafted back in April?
The answer is three-fold: Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and whatever rookie QB the team might consider selecting near the top of the 2026 draft.
Assuming Cleveland drafts a signal-caller next spring — which will happen if neither Sanders or Gabriel can set himself apart, and may happen anyway even if one does — it’s likely that one of those players will ultimately end up the franchise QB. It’s clear by his social media activity that Wilson would be open to making a go of it with Sanders, and whichever young signal-caller the Browns land on will need a true No. 1 receiver if he has any hope of achieving high-level success.
Browns May Still Be Active Sellers Ahead of Trade Deadline With Players Like Wyatt Teller
GettyCleveland Browns offensive guard Wyatt Teller.
With a quarterback on a rookie contract for multiple years, the price of Wilson’s contract won’t be as onerous as it would be otherwise. Also, once the 2026 season ends, the worst part of quarterback Deshaun Watson’s $230 million deal will be in the Browns’ rearview mirror.
The team is still going to have to grapple with financial encumbrances for several years after Watson’s contract ends, but a bit more salary cap freedom is waiting for the front office in the near future,.
Typically teams that start a campaign 2-5 are looking to sell ahead of the trade deadline. In Cleveland’s case, it has players like four-time Pro Bowl guard Wyatt Teller, tight end David Njoku and running back Jerome Ford — all of whom are in the final years of their respective contracts, can help contenders now and are unlikely to return to the Browns in 2026.
Cleveland can use those players to amass some capital to offset whatever it might cost to land Wilson, which is a conversation that could begin with the 2026 first-rounder the Browns acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars back in April.
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