Ex-Browns TE Inks Deal With Colts

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Ex-Browns TE Inks Deal With Colts

Former Browns tight end Pharaoh Brown. Getty

J.R. DeGroote · HEAVY

Tue, Oct 13, 2026 ·

4 min read

Pharaoh Brown Had Two Stints With Browns

GettyBALTIMORE, MARYLAND – SEPTEMBER 29: Tight End Pharaoh Brown #86 of the Cleveland Browns carries the ball in the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on September 29, 2019.

Brown's connection to Cleveland began long before his NFL career. An Ohio native, Brown initially joined the Browns' practice squad in September 2018. He had entered the league a year earlier as an undrafted free agent with the Oakland Raiders .

Brown appeared in nine games with six starts for Cleveland in 2019, catching two passes for 27 yards. The Browns waived him before the 2020 season, sending him on a path to Houston, where he found more consistent playing time.

He caught a career-high 23 passes for the Texans in 2021 before returning to Cleveland in October 2022 following his release from Houston. Across his two Browns stints, Brown totaled seven catches for 72 yards in 22 games, including 11 starts.

Brown signed with Indianapolis after the 2022 season but did not survive final roster cuts. He landed with the New England Patriots and produced a career-high 208 receiving yards in 2023. Stops with Seattle, Miami and Arizona followed before his return to the Colts this summer.

Brown joins a tight end group with an established centerpiece in Tyler Warren. The second-year tight end caught seven passes for 83 yards and added a rushing touchdown in Indianapolis' 34-22 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. The defeat dropped the Colts to 2-3.

Browns Need More From Harold Fannin Jr.

GettyCLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 01: Harold Fannin Jr. #44 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter of the game at Huntington Bank Field on October 01, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

The Browns, meanwhile, need a bounce-back performance from their top tight end after Harold Fannin Jr. struggled to make an impact against the New York Jets .

Fannin caught just one of four targets for four yards in Cleveland's 17-12 loss Sunday. It was a quiet afternoon for a player the Browns needed to help sustain drives in the rain.

Fannin had scored three touchdowns over the previous two games, including the go-ahead touchdown against Carolina. That production made his disappearance against New York particularly frustrating.

The problems against the Jets extended well beyond Fannin. Deshaun Watson was sacked eight times, and Cleveland finished with just 197 total yards and 13 first downs. More opportunities for Fannin on quick throws could help, but the Browns also need better protection and execution to make those chances count.

This article was originally published on HEAVY