Cedric Tillman coming to the New Orleans Saints has been viewed as a pretty big deal.
The former Cleveland Browns wide receiver was available, and the Saints pounced to add him to their practice squad earlier this week.
Lost in the shuffle was that there’s also a wideout going back from the Saints to the Browns: Bub Means.
Means signed with the Browns practice squad, originally reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
It’s a bit ironic, if nothing else, as if there’s a commutative property of Saints and Browns receivers. One in and one out from one team to the other.
What To Know About Bub Means Leaving Saints For Browns
Means wasn’t going to be a part of the Saints’ 53-man roster, which made him available to other teams.
The Browns, in part having created an opening by cutting Tillman, decided that Means was a guy they wanted to bring aboard.
On paper, it could be considered an upgrade that the Saints moved out Means and brought in Tillman, but the Browns are clearly believers in what Means can do.
Means is still just 25 years old after a wandering college career that included Tennessee, Louisiana Tech and Pittsburgh.
The Saints took Means in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and he made a few key plays as a rookie that year.
In seven games in 2024, Means had nine catches for 118 yards and a touchdown.
The problem started for Means when he was hurt in November 2024 and missed the rest of his rookie season.
The Saints then placed him on injured reserve again in August of 2025, and he sat out the entire 2025 campaign.
Means was still under contract with the Saints through the preseason, but they decided he was expendable.
The Saints actually only have four receivers on their current 53-man roster: Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, Bryce Lance and Barion Brown. They also have the first-round rookie Jordyn Tyson injured, and Mason Tipton is also on the PUP list.
When you add in a practice squad with four wideouts (Tillman, Trey Palmer, Kevin Austin Jr., Jalen Moreno-Cropper), it’s clear that there simply wasn’t much space for Means.
New Orleans could regret losing Means if the Browns find a way to unlock his potential, but at that end of the WR depth chart, it’s mostly dart throws, and the Saints chose to throw different darts than Cleveland did.
What Is Bub Means’ Real Name?
The important question on everyone’s mind has a simple answer.
Bub is actually Jerrod Means.
He actually got the nickname because his childhood belly button looked like a bubble, so the “bub” root there started to work its way into various nicknames until Bub stuck.
He’s done quite well considering he had to overcome such belly button adversity.
Saints Lose WR to Browns After Taking Cedric Tillman From Cleveland