The Cleveland Browns signed a former Seattle Seahawks first-round pick following a player’s sudden retirement on Wednesday. The Browns have had a busy week of retirements with a week to go before the 2024 NFL Draft.
Three players retired with the Cleveland Browns this week
As previously discussed on GH, three players retired as members of the Browns this week, including offensive lineman Justin Murray:
Two former Browns players, Rashard Higgins and Christian Kirksey, signed a one-day contract with the team before heading off to retirement. While they were known for being good teammates with the Browns and helpful in the Cleveland community, an offensive tackle of theirs chose to retire at 30 before he even took a snap with the team in practice.
According to Aaron Wilson with KPRC, the Browns placed Justin Murray on the reserve/retired list on Wednesday afternoon.
The Denver Broncos signed Murray as an undrafted free agent following the 2016 NFL Draft.
Germain Ifedi signs with the Cleveland Browns
With Murray no longer occupying a spot on the roster, the Browns needed to add depth to their offensive line. According to a statement by the Browns, the team signed veteran offensive lineman Germain Ifedi.
“Ifedi (6-5. 325) is entering his ninth NFL season out of Texas A&M. Originally a first-round pick by Seattle in 2016, Ifedi has appeared in 102 career games with 83 starts with the Seahawks (2016-19), Bears (2020-21) and Falcons (2023). He has made 59 career starts at right tackle and 24 right guard. Last season, he spent most of the season on the Bills’ active roster but did not appear in a game.”
Ifedi also plays special teams
Ifedi last played a regular season game for the Atlanta Falcons during the 2022 season. He contributed mostly to their special teams. He earned a 61.8 grade from Pro Football Focus for the 2021 season with the Chicago Bears. That was the last season he played a significant number of snaps as an offensive lineman.
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