News

Bengals Agree To AJ McCarron Trade With Browns, Who Don’t Tell NFL In Time

The Cleveland Browns made a cringe-worthy mistake this week.

AJ MCcarron Trade News

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Browns and Cincinnati agreed to a trade for backup Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron just before the NFL trade deadline.

However, the swap was not officially completed because, per Schefter, Cleveland failed to notify the NFL before the 4 pm EST deadline. The Bengals (3-4) did report the trade.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.


Schefter added that the Browns attempted to dispute the swap, but the league denied their request.

McCarron — the Bengals’ fifth-round pick out of Alabama in 2014 — has played in nine regular-season games, during which he’s thrown six touchdowns and two picks for a 97.1 passer rating, and one playoff game, during which he threw one touchdown and one pick for a 68.3 passer rating.

According to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Browns (0-8) were offering a second-round and third-round pick.

Most people in the NFL world seem to agree that this type of blunder is unsurprising for a hopeless team like the Browns. Another trade was also completed just minutes before Tuesday’s deadline (around 3:57 pm EST, reportedly): the Carolina Panthers sent wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for draft picks. However, there were no issued with that swap.

Cincinnati could thus likely turn to either rookie  DeShone Kizer, who has already been benched twice, Cody Kessler, or Kevin Hogan. The Browns also passed on taking top players in the past two drafts, like Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson. 

The Browns have a bye this week and then visit the Detroit Lions on Nov. 12. The Bengals next visit Jacksonville on Sunday.

BALTIMORE, MD – NOVEMBER 27: Quarterback AJ McCarron #5 of the Cincinnati Bengals warms up prior to a game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on November 27, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Pablo Mena

Writer and assistant editor for usports.org. NY Giants and Rangers fan. Film and TV enthusiast (especially Harry Potter and The Office) and lover of foreign languages and cultures.

Recent Posts

Diontae Johnson Excited To Move From Panthers To Ravens, Could Help In Playoff Push

Wide receiver Diontae Johnson is reportedly settling in well with the Baltimore Ravens after the…

12 hours ago

What Happened To Aaron Judge? After Yankees Fall Short In World Series, Fans Are Asking Questions

Aaron Judge seemed to flip the script on his disastrous World Series and postseason with…

12 hours ago

As The Yankees Collapse In World Series, Free Agency Battle For Juan Soto Begins

The New York Yankees' 2024 season came to a screeching halt Wednesday night when the…

2 days ago

Dodgers Win World Series In Game 5, Yankees Blow Five-Run Lead In Disastrous Finale

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 to win…

2 days ago

Brad Pitt Makes Surprise Appearance At Mexican Grand Prix To Shoot His Movie, ‘F1’

https://youtu.be/Y69VZZt9rt4 Brad Pitt made a surprise appearance at the Mexican Grand Prix’s practice round on Oct. 26.…

2 days ago

76er’s Joel Embiid Stays In NBA News Even While Not Playing

Joel Embiid’s name came up twice in NBA news this week as he continues to…

3 days ago