Cleveland Browns trade wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones to Detroit Lions for 6th-round pick
BEREA, Ohio — One hour before the NFL’s trade deadline is set to expire, the Cleveland Browns announced that they have traded wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones to the Detroit Lions.
In exchange, the Browns will receive a 6th-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The trade to the Lions will be a homecoming for Peoples-Jones, a Detroit native who came to the Browns as a 6th-round pick out of the University of Michigan in 2020.
In 50 career NFL games, the 24-year-old Peoples-Jones has caught 117 passes for 1,837 yards and eight touchdowns. This season, Peoples-Jones had eight catches for 97 yards in seven games played. He was targeted 18 times.
Perhaps Peoples-Jones’ signature play as a member of the Browns came during his rookie season in 2020 when he caught the game-winning touchdown from Baker Mayfield in a 37-34 win at the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson to start Sunday for second time in five weeks after right shoulder injury
BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will start Sunday against Arizona, returning to play for just the second time in five weeks after he was sidelined with a right shoulder injury.
Watson has been dealing with a strained rotator cuff, an injury he first sustained on Sept. 24 against Tennessee. Watson missed three complete games and played only 12 snaps on Oct. 22 against Indianapolis — his last start.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said Watson had a solid week of practice. “He’s comfortable, and he has looked good,” Stefanski said.
Watson practiced for the third straight day and took all of the reps during the portion of Friday’s workout open to media members. It didn’t look like he fully cut loose on any of his throws, and Watson was off the mark with a few attempts.
Watson, who has started just 10 games in two seasons with Cleveland, said Thursday that his shoulder had improved but he wasn’t sure about playing against the Cardinals (1-7).
The Browns went 2-2 in the four games they played without Watson. Backup P.J. Walker helped Cleveland upset San Francisco on Oct. 15, and then came off the bench after Watson took a shot to his shoulder to beat the Colts.
With Watson close to returning, the Browns didn’t feel pressured to trade for another backup QB this week.
Watson will get a chance to shake off some rust and get ready for upcoming AFC North games against Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
