The Cleveland Browns waived tight end Carsen Ryan on Thursday, bringing a brief and unsettled chapter of the rookie’s professional career to a close only one day after promoting him from the practice squad to the active roster, the team announced.
Ryan, selected by Cleveland with the 248th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, has spent the season largely on the margins of the roster.
The 23-year-old from Orem, Utah, appeared in seven games and contributed almost exclusively on special teams, logging roughly 85 snaps in that capacity while recording just two offensive snaps. He has yet to record a reception as a pro.
His path to the league was unconventional.
Ryan began his college career at UCLA, where he posted modest numbers across two seasons, then transferred to Utah for a single year of limited production before landing at BYU in 2025.
In Provo, he emerged as a reliable option in the passing game, finishing his senior season with 45 receptions for 620 yards and three touchdowns while starting most of the Cougars’ games.
Across four years and three programs, he totaled 74 catches for 1,020 yards and seven scores, production that was sufficient to earn him a late-round draft selection.
The Browns initially signed him to a four-year rookie contract worth just over $4.8 million that included a signing bonus of roughly $433,000.
After making the initial 53-man roster, Ryan was waived in late October to create space when the team activated quarterback Dillon Gabriel from injured reserve.
He cleared waivers, returned to the practice squad, was elevated for a game, and was then promoted back to the active roster on Wednesday. Thursday’s waiver reversed that promotion with unusual speed.
The timing has drawn notice around the league. Cleveland practiced Thursday with no public indication of an injury to Ryan, and the team’s transaction release made no reference to an injury settlement.
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, some observers have speculated that the move could clear a roster spot for an incoming player, though the Browns have not confirmed any such plan.
The tight end room remains thin beyond Harold Fannin Jr. and Blake Whiteheart, the two players who remain on the active roster at the position.
Because Ryan was waived rather than released with an injury settlement, he is free to sign with any team.
Given his recent history of clearing waivers and returning to Cleveland’s practice squad, it remains possible the Browns will attempt to bring him back if he goes unclaimed.
For now, the latest transaction simply adds another entry to a rookie season defined more by roster churn than by on-field opportunity.
