Former Bills WR Asks to Get Cut for 2nd Time This Season: Report

Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver John Brown was cut by the Denver Broncos on Tuesday, but according to a new report, it was done at the veteran’s request.

KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis tweeted, “WR John Brown had used up his 2 practice squad elevations and with Jeudy return, Broncos weren’t going to bring Brown up to 53. So per source Brown asked for his release from practice squad.”

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The 31-year-old veteran, who spent two seasons with the Bills before getting cut in 2021, is once again a free agent. It appears that instead of staying on the Broncos practice squad to provide depth, Brown wants to join a team looking to sign him to their active 53-man roster.

Last season, Brown fell to the No. 2 slot after the Bills signed wide receiver Stefon Diggs, so his decrease in production was expected. But while dealing with injuries, Brown had one of the worst seasons of his career, appearing in just nine games, tallying a meager 458 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

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Brown Asked to Get Released By the Las Vegas Raiders Earlier This Year

Brown seems to be hopping around the NFL like Goldilocks this season, trying to find the perfect team fit for him. Prior to the start of the 2021-22 season, Brown signed a one-year contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.

While “Smoke” would’ve been a solid addition to the Raiders’ offense, he was surprisingly cut before the season started. On August 31, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero revealed that Brown had requested the release.

During the Raiders’ final preseason game, Brown participated in 25 snaps, finishing with one catch on two targets for two yards, per Raiders Wire. While Brown was in the lead to be the team’s replacement for Nelson Agholor, the former third-round pick out of Pittsburgh State turned away from the opportunity.

Brown said before the season started that he would be interested in playing with the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Indianapolis Colts, so perhaps he’s gunning to end up with one of those teams next.

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Stefon Diggs Called Brown ‘Underrated’ and ‘Underappreciated

In September 2020, after Diggs left the Minnesota Vikings to join the Bills, he only had only the highest compliments for his new teammate.

“I think, in my opinion, John Brown is one of the most underrated receivers in the NFL,” Diggs said, per Bills Wire. “He’s underappreciated as well. He does a lot of things extremely well. He plays on the outside, can play on the inside, he has great hands, great routes.”

“It’s fun to play with guys like that because it’s hard to double, it’s hard to do all that,” Diggs continued. “It gives the ability for everybody to eat, everybody to win on the outside.”

Cutting Brown was mostly a financial decision, as the Bills were able to free up $7.93 million in cap space, according to Sportrac.com.

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