The Cleveland Browns are bringing back a familiar face as they search for help in a tight end room that has remained unsettled behind Harold Fannin Jr.
Cleveland is signing Zaire Mitchell-Paden to its practice squad, according to KPRC’s Aaron Wilson. The move gives the Browns another option at a position they had been exploring ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Mitchell-Paden, 27, originally joined Cleveland as an undrafted free agent out of Florida Atlantic in 2022. He missed the initial 53-man roster but returned on the practice squad, spending much of his first two seasons with the organization before being released in August 2024.
He subsequently joined the Baltimore Ravens, where he worked under current Browns head coach Todd Monken, then Baltimore’s offensive coordinator. Mitchell-Paden appeared in eight games between the Ravens and New Orleans Saints in 2025, catching two passes for 17 yards.
The Saints waived Mitchell-Paden before this season, and he landed on the Houston Texans’ practice squad. Houston released him earlier this month, making him available for a Cleveland reunion just before the Browns host his most recent team.
Browns Had Been Exploring Tight End Trade
The signing comes as Cleveland has been looking for more than another receiving option at tight end.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported Monday that the Browns had hoped to acquire an edge rusher and potentially a blocking tight end, but no deal had materialized.
Blake Whiteheart has been working behind Fannin, while rookie seventh-round pick Carsen Ryan has moved between the active roster and practice squad. Mitchell-Paden adds another candidate to that group, although a practice-squad agreement does not guarantee a game-day role.
For now, Cleveland can evaluate Mitchell-Paden without surrendering draft capital. But his addition alone does not establish whether the Browns have finished looking for help at the position.
Browns Need Harold Fannin Jr. More Involved Against Texans
Whatever happens with the depth behind him, getting Fannin involved earlier should be a priority against Houston.
Fannin finished Sunday’s 23-22 overtime loss to New Orleans with just two catches on two targets for 42 yards. That followed a career-best performance against Pittsburgh, when he caught 10 passes for 154 yards.
His final reception against the Saints nearly rescued Cleveland. With the Browns trailing 23-16 in overtime, Fannin caught a short pass from Shedeur Sanders and powered through defenders for a 39-yard touchdown. The catch brought Cleveland within a point with one minute remaining, but the ensuing two-point attempt fell incomplete.
The effort earned Fannin NFL Network’s Week 9 Angry Runs award, recognition of the strength he showed turning a short completion into a potential game-winning play. Fannin stiff-armed two defenders, seeking out the contact.
Cleveland returns home at 5-4 after consecutive losses.
Browns Reuniting With TE Amid Trade Rumors