Cedric Tillman

Tillman finished 2025 with only 21 receptions for 270 yards in 13 games, losing significant playing time to Jerry Jeudy, rookie Isaiah Bond, and rookie TE Harold Fannin Jr. The Browns are expected to keep Jeudy and Bond, and may draft a WR in the first round, further limiting Tillman's target ceiling.

Todd Monken has left the starting QB job open between rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, creating offensive continuity concerns. Tillman had limited experience with Gabriel (per searches) and new coach has not established QB plan.

Browns finished 5-12 in 2025 with one of the league's least-potent passing attacks. New HC and defensive coordinator departures signal major coaching overhaul and continued instability.

Tillman is on the final year of his rookie deal with a ~$1.7M base salary; the Browns could clear $3.7M in cap space by releasing him. He has never surpassed 30 receptions in a season and carries an injury history, making his roster spot genuinely vulnerable heading into training camp.

Cleveland used both their R1 (KC Concepcion, #24 overall) and R2 (Denzel Boston, #39 overall) picks on WRs, effectively pushing Tillman to WR4 or worse. The Browns committed their two earliest picks to the position — a clear signal that the front office views the WR room as needing a full rebuild around Jeudy and the rookies, not Tillman.

Tillman is in the final year of his rookie deal at ~$1.7M base salary, becoming an UFA in 2027. With two higher-upside rookies now on the roster at cost-controlled deals, the Browns have every financial incentive to release or simply not activate Tillman in favor of developing Concepcion and Boston.

If Cooper is traded or underperforms, Tillman could assume a larger target share in a vertical passing offense. His athletic profile supports genuine WR2 upside with increased volume.

Shedeur Sanders showed strong play late season (23/42 for 364 yards vs Titans), and Tillman connected with him for a 42-yard TD vs Pittsburgh. If Sanders wins QB competition, familiarity could boost Tillman's role.

Multiple reports suggest the Browns may trade or release Jerry Jeudy post-June 1 to create cap space. Jeudy ranked 72nd out of 81 qualifying WRs per PFF in 2025 and has a $28M dead cap hit if cut before June 1, but only $12M after, making him a prime candidate to be moved this offseason.

Final-year contracts historically drive career-best efforts. Tillman has genuine physical tools and the late-season snap/target spike (77% snaps, 10% target share in W18) shows the coaching staff still has some faith.

If Sanders wins the starting job and takes a developmental step forward, the entire WR corps benefits. Tillman as the de facto WR2 could see 60-70 targets in a Sanders-led offense aiming to establish a rhythm.

If Sanders develops a quick chemistry with the veteran Tillman as a security-blanket option in 2026 training camp, there is a small chance Tillman outperforms his depth-chart position. This is the only plausible path to relevance without an injury to the top three WRs.