David

Bell

The 24-year-old noted that he was dealing with an “off-field injury that was beyond my control, which put my football future in jeopardy.” We know that Bell underwent hip surgery in September of 2024. He had 41 catches for 408 yards in three seasons with the Browns, and looked like he was in the mix to be a starter at times. Alas, the 2022 third-rounder could not get back to full health and walks away from the game.

Watson tore his Achilles in Week 7 last season and ruptured it again in January. The Browns have four quarterbacks on the depth chart to replace his disappointing output from the past few seasons. He will now start the season on the PUP list and is expected to be out for most, if not all, of the 2025 season. DT Mike Hall Jr. will also be placed on the active/PUP list while WR David Bell will hit the active/non-football injury list.

Bell had three early receptions against the Jaguars in Week 2 before sustaining the hip injury and being carted to the locker room. Bell’s season is likely over, leaving Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and Elijah Moore as the Browns’ top three wideouts.

Bell landed hard on his right knee after being tackled from behind. He remained down for some time before being helped to the cart. Bell could be seen laying on his back with his right leg elevated and supported by a Browns trainer as the cart sped off.

Assuming Bell is back within two weeks, he should be ready in time for the Browns’ regular season contest against the Cowboys. The third-year receiver caught one pass for five yards in the team’s preseason opener against the Packers and is hoping to carve out a role as a backup in camp. Bell has caught 38 passes for 381 yards and three touchdowns in his career since being drafted in the third-round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Texans rolled additional coverage over to Amari Cooper all game after the veteran wide receiver put up historic numbers the last time the two teams played, leaving Bell and his newfound WR3 role additional room to operate over the middle of the field. Bell is likely to remain behind Cedric Tillman in 2024, leaving little fantasy value outside of the deepest leagues.

With the Browns trying to get Amari Cooper, David Njoku and Elijah Moore healthier/fresher for the playoffs, Bell had his first relevant outing of the year. He entered the proceedings with 10 total catches. A nice pop-up effort, but Bell will revert to afterthought status for the postseason. He now has 38 career catches across 31 career grabs, with only 14 of those receptions coming this season.

The second-year receiver will miss at least one game after sitting out the practice week. Bell had seven targets on a 10% snap share as the Browns’ WR4 before going down.

The Browns’ offseason moves have put Bell, a 2022 third-rounder, on the roster bubble. With Cleveland no longer expected to sign DeAndre Hopkins, Bell’s roster status is safe going into Year 2. Bell is expected to compete in the slot this preseason after playing 62% of his snaps there as a rookie.

This has been foreshadowed with the Browns adding Marquise Goodwin and Cedric Tillman, along with Elijah Moore, this offseason. Cleveland was clearly unhappy with its wideout depth. Schwartz has 14 receptions in two seasons and has missed time to concussions and knee injuries. He doesn’t have to be rostered in deep dynasty leagues.