The Cincinnati Bengals suddenly have a wide receiver problem after losing both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to injuries in Sunday’s loss to Jacksonville.
Chase left the game with a concussion, while Higgins suffered an adductor injury late in the fourth quarter. With Andrei Iosivas already on injured reserve, Cincinnati could be forced to look outside the organization for additional help depending on how long its top receivers are sidelined.
One interesting option would be an AFC North trade with the division rival Cleveland Browns.
Bengals Wire’s Chris Roling named Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy as a potential trade option for Cincinnati. “A trade with an AFC North rival is unlikely, but Jerry Jeudy is one of the more notable names out there obviously on the trade block,” Roling wrote.
Jeudy’s future in Cleveland has recently come into question. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Oct. 4 that Jeudy could be available leading up to the trade deadline.
“Jerry Jeudy, the Browns wide receiver — Cleveland has gotten a lot of production out of Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion, their two rookie wide receivers,” Schefter said. “Jeudy is being squeezed out, he could be had by the trade deadline.”
Jerry Jeudy Has Seen His Role Shrink With Browns
Jeudy’s situation in Cleveland looks considerably different than it did just two seasons ago. The Browns acquired him from the Denver Broncos in 2024 and quickly signed him to a three-year, $52.5 million contract extension.
Initially, that investment paid off. Jeudy broke out in Cleveland with career highs of 90 receptions and 1,229 receiving yards in his first season with Cleveland, earning the first Pro Bowl selection of his career. He also set a Browns single-season record with those 90 receptions.
His production dropped to 50 receptions for 602 yards and two touchdowns in 2025, and his role has become even smaller through the first four games of 2026.
Jeudy has just five receptions for 62 yards on eight targets this season. He went without a catch in consecutive games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers before recording three catches for 36 yards in Cleveland’s Week 4 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cleveland has seen rookie wide receivers Denzel Boston and K.C. Concepcion take on a larger role on offense. Add in second-year playmakers like Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin, and there’s not much opportunity for Jeudy. This is central to why Schefter believes he could be available.
Bengals Suddenly Thin at Wide Receiver
In-division trades are always unlikely, as Roling admits in his article. Still, they’re not impossible. Just last year, the Bengals and Browns made a trade. The Browns sent Joe Flacco and a 2026 sixth-round pick to Cincinnati in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick.
The Bengals are used to having lots of weapons in the passing game. With the injuries to Chase and Higgins, Iosivas on injured reserve, and rookie Colbie Young dealing with a knee injury, they suddenly find themselves very thin in the receiver room.
While guys like Dohnte Meyers and Mitchell Tinsley have stepped up, Jeudy would offer much more experience. He has recorded 356 receptions for 4,946 yards over his seven-year career.
There is no indication at this point that Cincinnati has contacted Cleveland about Jeudy, and a trade between division rivals would present an obvious complication. The Bengals also don’t yet know how much time Chase or Higgins will miss.
Still, Jeudy is reportedly available at precisely the moment Cincinnati has been forced to evaluate its depth at wide receiver.
If either Chase or Higgins faces an extended absence, the Bengals could have an interesting decision to make before the November 10 trade deadline.
Bengals Could Target $52 Million AFC North Rival After WR Injury Nightmare