Browns Linked to Trade for $130 Million Star for Gabriel, Sanders: Report

The Cleveland Browns are largely regarded as sellers ahead of the NFL’s early November trade deadline, though a couple of team insiders linked Cleveland on Wednesday to a potential trade for a disgruntled star wide receiver.

According to Tony Rizzo of ESPN Cleveland and his guest host Chopz, the Browns are trying to get in the mix for wideout Garrett Wilson of the New York Jets.

“There’s a lot of wide receiver chatter out there with the Browns, and [general manager Andrew Berry] is sniffing around,” Chopz said. “Garrett Wilson’s name is popping up right now. … 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. There’s video of him fighting with [head coach] Aaron Glenn, who the owner backed yesterday actually.”

Garrett Wilson Trade Makes Sense for Browns Given Rookie QB Timeline

GettyQuarterbacks Shedeur Sanders (left) and Dillon Gabriel (right) of the Cleveland Browns.

Even though the Browns could be preparing to deal high-profile players like offensive guard Wyatt Teller and tight end David Njoku, making a move to acquire an elite receiver actually does make sense for the long-term.

Cleveland is in the middle of auditioning third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel for the job of franchise quarterback. At some point this season, Shedeur Sanders is also likely to get the chance to start a few games and show what he can do.

One of the team’s two first-year signal-callers might hit, in which case there is little reason not to add an elite No. 1 wideout into the locker room for the long haul. And if neither Gabriel or Sanders sets himself apart in 2025, the Browns have two first-rounders in the 2026 draft to look for a top prospect in what should be a strong QB class.

If Cleveland lands a top quarterback next April, whoever that player might be, his chances of success will balloon if Wilson is leading the WR room alongside Jerry Jeudy with standout rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. entering his second professional season.

The Browns have five rookie starters in 2025, including breakout running back Quinshon Judkins. A player like Wilson is young enough to play on the same timeline as Cleveland’s youth, but also experienced enough to serve as a veteran presence and mentor in the locker.

Garrett Wilson’s Contract Lines Up With Browns’ Ability to Move on From QB Deshaun Watson

GettyNew York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson.

Wilson just inked a four-year contract worth $130 million, which keeps him under contract through his age-30 season in 2030. However, that deal doesn’t kick in until 2027.

Whether the Browns deal Njoku or not, his contract is up next spring. Meanwhile, the team has one more extremely painful Deshaun Watson year on the books in 2026 ($80.7 million salary cap hit).

Unfortunately for Cleveland, the team will probably need to restructure Watson’s deal yet again to reduce that hit and allow the organization to at least attempt competitiveness next season. But even if the Browns push a good deal of that Watson’s 2026 money off into the future, circumstances involving the QB’s contract should get considerably less painful after next year, when the first big season of Wilson’s money is set to hit the books.

The point is that a deal for a player like Wilson, which doesn’t get truly expensive until after the Browns can get beyond the worst parts of the financial albatross that is Watson’s contract, is more feasible now than a year or two ago because the end of the Watson era is in sight.

A Wilson trade is also logical now because the Browns are getting younger and should be starting a QB on a rookie contract for the foreseeable future. That means a signal-caller who won’t be too expensive for several seasons to come and will benefit from growing with a player like Wilson to help show him the way.

Aaron Rodgers’ words about facing Packers reveal exactly what he’s hiding

It's hard to take the four-time MVP's comments about going up against his former team at face value.

There will be many emotions coursing through Acrisure Stadium when the Aaron Rodgers-led Pittsburgh Steelers face the Green Bay Packers on

Sunday Night Football. One of them figures to be resentment, or so we thought.

It's only natural for a competitor to be particularly amped up to go up against their old team, especially when the ties run this deep. Knowing this, folks have anticipated Rodgers coming out with an extra pep in his step against the franchise he famously led for nearly two decades. However, those people are ostensibly sadly mistaken.

Rodgers has taken the opposite approach heading into Pittsburgh's clash with the Packers. He downplayed the matchup during his media availability ahead of the game and also spoke highly of Green Bay. Nevertheless, some of the four-time MVP's comments, among other notable storylines, make it hard to take him at face value.

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers' attempt to downplay 'revenge game' vs. Packers uncovers vindictiveness

"I don't have any animosity toward the [Packers] organization," Rodgers said. "Obviously, I wish that things had been better in our last year there, but I have a great relationship with a lot of people still in that organization, and this is not a revenge game for me. I'm just excited to see some of those guys and be on 

Sunday Night Football again."

Talk about an interesting choice of words. Rodgers starts strong, saying there is no hostility between him and the Packers, clearly stating there's no added motivation to beat them. Then, he briefly touches on their well-chronicled breakup, which tells us that it's a sore topic and still on his mind.

While Rodgers' affinity for the Packers is apparent, his strained relationship with the club's general manager, Brian Gutekunst, is its own entity. They didn't see eye to eye regarding Green Bay's selection of current star signal-caller, Jordan Love, to say the least.

Of course, who can forget Rodgers reportedly asking the Packers to fire Gutekunst in the wake of Love's arrival. That debacle opened the door for the former to air his grievances with the latter, citing communication and roster construction issues. And we're supposed to believe there's no ill will?

After all, we all saw Rodgers publicly admit being "happy to beat everyone associated with the [New York] Jets," another former employer, after Pittsburgh's Week 1 win. His forgetful two-season stint in East Rutherford is merely a blip on the radar compared to the deep-rooted connection to Green Bay. So, do what you will with that information.

 

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