Former Ohio State wide receiver Noah Brown is looking for his next NFL stop after the Las Vegas Raiders terminated his contract just eight days after signing him.
The 30-year-old Buckeye product joined the Raiders on Aug. 16 as a veteran depth option for a thin receiving corps under new head coach Klint Kubiak. He appeared in one preseason game, catching a single pass for 11 yards, before Las Vegas cut him ahead of its final exhibition and the league’s roster deadline.
For Ohio State fans, Brown’s career has always been a reminder of the program’s pipeline of NFL talent — even when it doesn’t follow the star path of a Garrett Wilson or Chris Olave.
A Sparta, New Jersey, native, Brown played three seasons in Columbus from 2014 to 2016 under Urban Meyer. He appeared in 28 games, totaling 33 receptions for 411 yards and seven touchdowns.
He contributed as a true freshman in 2014 and returned for a 13-game 2016 season after limited action the year before. Those numbers never made him a household name in the Horseshoe, but they were enough for the Dallas Cowboys to take him in the seventh round (239th overall) of the 2017 draft.
Brown carved out a nine-year NFL career that Buckeye loyalists can respect. He spent five seasons in Dallas, then one with the Houston Texans and two with the Washington Commanders.
Across 91 games (38 starts), he has 155 receptions for 2,083 yards and six touchdowns. His best stretch came later: 43 catches for 555 yards and three scores in 2022 with the Cowboys, followed by 33 catches for 567 yards in Houston in 2023.
In 2024, he was part of Washington’s surprising NFC Championship run. Injuries have been the constant drag — groin, knee, and rib issues limited him to four games and five catches for 83 yards in 2025.
The Raiders’ brief experiment makes sense on paper. Las Vegas needed a bigger-bodied veteran (6-2, 225) who could compete for snaps on a young, unproven depth chart.
Brown simply didn’t show enough in camp or that one preseason appearance to stick. Releasing him early gives him a head start on finding another team before the wave of cuts hits this weekend.
From an Ohio State perspective, this is another chapter in the long list of former Buckeyes still grinding in the league well after their college days.
Brown was never the flashiest recruit or the most productive Scarlet and Gray receiver, but he lasted nearly a decade in the NFL through persistence and size.
Whether another team gives him a look remains to be seen. For now, the latest Buckeye on the waiver wire is back on the market, eight days after the Raiders thought he might help.
