RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken during a preseason game against the Chicago Bears. Getty
BEREA, OHIO - JULY 29: Harold Fannin Jr. #44 of the Cleveland Browns runs a drill during Cleveland Browns Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on July 29, 2026 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) Getty
The Cleveland Browns still have no timetable for rookie tight end Joe Royer to return to the team.
Royer has been away for personal reasons since the start of full-team training camp and missed Cleveland’s 34-10 preseason loss to the Chicago Bears. The fifth-round pick entered the summer with an opportunity to earn a role behind Harold Fannin Jr., but his extended absence has opened the door for others.
“There’s been no indication yet on when fifth-round tight end Joe Royer, who’s been absent for a personal reason, might return to the team,” Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com said. “In his absence, Blake Whiteheart, Brenden Bates and seventh-round pick Carsen Ryan have been vying for the No. 2 pass-catching tight end spot behind Harold Fannin Jr.”
The Browns have not disclosed the nature of Royer’s personal matter. General manager Andrew Berry previously said the team supports Royer and will welcome him back when he is ready.
“Out of respect to him and his privacy, I’m not going to go into the details other than to say that he has our full support,” Berry said on July 30 . “We’re really happy that he’s focused on kind of resolving this matter. I don’t have a definite timeline in terms of when he’s going to be back, but when he does return, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later, we’ll get him ramped up quickly and reintegrated in everything.”
Joe Royer Missing Valuable Time With Browns
Royer participated in Cleveland’s offseason program but has not been with the team lately. Every absence costs him valuable practice time as he learns head coach Todd Monken’s offense and competes for a roster spot.
The Browns selected Royer with the No. 170 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft . He caught 79 passes for 937 yards and seven touchdowns over two seasons at Cincinnati, showing the versatility to line up as a traditional tight end or move around the formation.
“Joe has size, really good hands,” Berry said after the draft. “He is a player that can produce both in the Y, which is kind of your traditional inline role, and the F role, which is a little bit more of a receiving role. So to have that flexibility in the room is helpful and important.”
Royer appeared positioned to compete for the top receiving role behind Fannin. However, the longer he remains away, the more difficult it becomes for him to establish a place in the offense before the regular season.
Browns Tight Ends Get Limited Work Against Bears
Getty Harold Fannin Jr. of the Cleveland Browns.
None of Cleveland’s reserve tight ends play a significant role against Chicago. Whiteheart caught his only target for 6 yards, while Ryan finished with one reception for 6 yards on two targets. Bates did not record a catch. Fannin, the clear starter, was targeted once but did not have a reception in limited action.
The Browns also have Jack Stoll , who projects primarily as a blocking option, and recently claimed rookie Dae’Quan Wright off waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles . Wright caught 113 passes for 1,603 yards and nine touchdowns during his college career.
Fannin gives Cleveland a proven centerpiece after leading the team with 72 receptions, 731 yards and six receiving touchdowns as a rookie. The depth behind him is far less settled, particularly with Royer’s return still uncertain.
Cleveland will hold a joint practice with the Buffalo Bills before hosting them in its second preseason game on August 22.
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