The Colts signed Brown on Friday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Pending a physical, Brown will now join Indianapolis in 2023 following Friday's agreement. Since entering the NFL in 2017, the 28-year-old has operated as a complementary tight end and has registered 51 receptions for 478 yards and two scores in that span.
... See More... See Less
Browns' Pharaoh Brown: No injury designation
Rotowire
Brown doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's matchup against the Bengals, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Brown returned to practice Friday as a full participant after being sidelined Thursday due to an illness. The backup tight end has caught five of 10 targets for 45 yards across eight appearances since joining Cleveland midway through the 2022 campaign.
... See More... See Less
Browns' Pharaoh Brown: Dealing with illness
Rotowire
Brown did not participate during the Browns' practice Thursday due to an illness, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Brown appears to have come down with an illness since practicing in full Wednesday, as he appeared on Cleveland's Week 14 injury report for the first time Thursday. While the nature of this ailment is still unknown, the 28-year-old will still have one more practice to improve his activity before the team must assign him a game status on Friday's final injury report. Brown played a season-high 40 offensive snaps with top tight end David Njoku (knee) sidelined against the Texans in Week 13, and it's likely he could see similarly increased usage if Njoku remains out Sunday against Cincinnati.
... See More... See Less
Browns' Pharaoh Brown: Starts for Njoku
Rotowire
Brown caught his lone target for 11 yards in Sunday's 27-14 win over the Texans.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson wasn't the only member of the Browns returning to the stadium where he once played. Brown, who was released by the Texans earlier this season, was in the starting lineup as a replacement for the injured David Njoku (knee) and played 40 snaps, the most he's had since joining the Browns in Week 5. Watson hadn't played a regular-season game since 2020, so they deployed a run-heavy scheme, which called for a tight end like Brown with elite blocking skills. He's caught five of 10 targets for 45 yards in eight games for Cleveland.
... See More... See Less
Browns' Pharaoh Brown: Moves up depth chart
Rotowire
Brown was not targeted over 25 snaps in Monday's 32-13 win over the Bengals.
Brown moved up to second on the tight end depth chart due to David Njoku (ankle) being inactive, and his snap count was his highest since joining the Browns. Cleveland was able to run its offense, which meant a low-volume passing attack that resulted in no tight ends being targeted.
... See More... See Less
Browns' Pharaoh Brown: Questionable for Monday
Rotowire
Brown (concussion/neck) is questionable for Monday's contest against the Bengals, Anthony Poisal of the Browns' official site reports.
Brown didn't practice Thursday or Friday due to a concussion, but he logged a limited session Saturday and still has a chance to suit up Monday. With David Njoku (ankle) already ruled out, Harrison Bryant is in line to be Cleveland's top tight end, but if Brown is also unavailable, Miller Forristall or Zaire Mitchell-Paden will likely be elevated from the practice squad.
... See More... See Less
Browns' Pharaoh Brown: Still not practicing Friday
Rotowire
Brown (concussion/neck) wasn't spotted at Friday's practice, Scott Petrak of The Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Cleveland's injury report won't come out until Saturday since the Browns will play Monday in Week 8, but back-to-back absences from practice don't bode well for Brown's chances of suiting up. He'll still need to pass the NFL's concussion protocol before being cleared to play. With David Njoku (ankle) in line to be out, Harrison Bryant is the only healthy tight end on Cleveland's roster at the moment.
... See More... See Less
Browns' Pharaoh Brown: In concussion protocol
Rotowire
Brown was added to the NFL's concussion protocol Wednesday, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Brown was removed from the Cleveland's Week 7 loss to Baltimore with what was initially described as a neck injury. He was evaluated for a concussion and now is part of the protocol, joining teammates Denzel Ward and Joe Haeg. The Browns are expected to be without David Njoku (ankle) in their Week 8 game against the Bengals on Monday and could be without Brown, too, potentially leaving Harrison Bryant as their primary tight end.
... See More... See Less
Browns' Pharaoh Brown: Exits Sunday's game
Rotowire
Brown left Sunday's game against the Ravens with a neck injury, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
With Brown injured and David Njoku out of the game due to an ankle injury, Harrison Bryant is the Browns' lone healthy tight end in the fourth quarter of Sunday's contest.
... See More... See Less
Browns' Pharaoh Brown: Makes Browns debut
Rotowire
Brown played two snaps in Sunday's 30-28 loss to the Chargers in Week 5.
Brown, who was signed earlier in the week, was actually listed as a starter, but the newest member of the team had little impact. As the season advances, it's likely Brown will get more on-field work, but he's considered primarily a blocking tight end, while David Njoku is the pass-catching threat at the position. Njoku has turned into the offensive force the organization thought it was getting when he was drafted in the first round of 2017.
... See More... See Less
Pharaoh Brown: Expected to sign with Cleveland
Rotowire
The Browns are expected to sign Brown (hip/shoulder) on Wednesday if he passes his physical, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
The Texans released Brown on Tuesday after he was inactive for Week 4 due to hip and shoulder injuries. The move was a surprise, given he signed a one-year, $3 million deal in March and started each of the team's first three games, catching seven of 10 targets for 72 yards. If he passes his physical, the undrafted tight end will rejoin the Browns, for whom he caught two passes across nine appearances during the 2019 campaign.
... See More... See Less
Pharaoh Brown: Cut loose by Houston
Rotowire
The Texans informed Brown (hip/shoulder) of his release Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.
Houston's decision to cut ties with Brown comes as a surprise, given that he was signed to a one-year, $3 million guaranteed deal in March and had started in each of the Texans' first three games. The tight end was valued mostly as a blocker but had contributed seven receptions for 72 yards on 10 targets across his 134 offensive snaps on the season. He was inactive for the Texans' Week 4 game due to hip and shoulder injuries, but the team hadn't provided any indication that either issue was expected to result in a long-term absence. Brown's release should free up more snaps for Brevin Jordan (ankle) and O.J. Howard, with Jordan Akins a candidate to be signed from the practice squad to serve as additional depth.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Pharaoh Brown: Inactive Sunday
Rotowire
Brown (hip/shoulder) is inactive for Sunday's game versus the Chargers.
With Brown unavailable Sunday, Jordan Akins and O.J. Howard are in line to head Houston's Week 4 tight end corps, with Mason Schreck in reserve. While neither Akins or Howard are high-percentage fantasy plays, Akins managed to haul in three of his four targets for 31 yards and a TD last weekend against the Bears, so he profiles as an option for those scrambling for short-term TE help.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Pharaoh Brown: No restrictions Week 3
Rotowire
Brown caught three of four targets for 31 yards in Sunday's 23-20 loss to Chicago in Week 3.
Brown was limited by a shoulder injury during the week but was able to play a season-high 48 snaps while seeing usage as a receiving option and not just a blocker. Houston's No. 1 tight end has seven catches on 10 targets for 72 yards through three contests.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Pharaoh Brown: Dealing with shoulder injury
Rotowire
Brown (shoulder) did not practice Thursday.
Brown was not on the injury report Wednesday, so that he was listed as a non-participant rather than a limited participant Thursday might indicate Brown developed the shoulder injury following Wednesday's practice. With no diagnosis or other clarity offered by Houston in the meantime, a wide range of outcomes are possible for Brown. If he returns to practice Friday he should have a good shot of playing against Chicago on Sunday, but if he misses Friday's practice then the Texans might need O.J. Howard to step up into a three-down role since fellow tight end Brevin Jordan (ankle) is also looking iffy for Sunday.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Pharaoh Brown: Won't play preseason finale
Rotowire
Brown (hamstring) will not play in Thursday's preseason game against the 49ers, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.
Brown has been dealing with a hamstring injury since mid-August and was spotted on the practice field earlier in the week. However, the team will opt to keep him out of game action in the hopes that he will be fully healthy in time for Houston's first regular-season game against the Colts. Brown figures to serve as the second tight end behind Brevin Jordan.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Pharaoh Brown: Back on field Monday
Rotowire
Brown (hamstring) participated during the Texans' practice Monday, Deepi Sidhu of the team's official site reports.
Brown has been sidelined since missing practice last Wednesday due to a hamstring injury, though the issue apparently proved minor given his return less than a week later. The 6-foot-6 tight end, who recorded a career-high 23 catches for 171 yards over 15 games during his second season with Houston last year, figures to see an expanded role while playing behind presumptive starter Brevin Jordan in 2022.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Pharaoh Brown: Dealing with minor hamstring injury
Rotowire
Brown didn't practice Wednesday due to a hamstring injury, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.
Wilson relays that the team doesn't consider the injury a long-term issue, but it's possible the Texans play it safe and sideline their primary backup tight end for Friday's preseason game against the Rams. Brown caught 23 passes for 171 yards across 572 offensive snaps last year, but he lost 18 pounds this offseason and is looking to breakout in his third season with Houston.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Pharaoh Brown: Sheds pounds
Rotowire
Brown shed 18 pounds during the offseason, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Brown said he was motivated to alter his diet after watching film of himself, noting that he was slow and "wasn't athletic." The trimmer Brown has not gone unnoticed by head coach Lovie Smith. "He's listed as a tight end, but he can play in line, he can move out," Smith said. "It's a tough matchup because he has big wide receiver skills. Just another weapon that we have to be able to use." At 6-foot-6, a quicker Brown could be a matchup nightmare for defenders, and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton has lined him up against cornerbacks in camp. Working on a one-year contract, Brown acknowledged he's looking for a big payday and multiple years. "I'm trying to get a David Njoku deal after this year," Brown said. To do that, a tight end needs to catch a lot of balls, and Brown feels his new look puts him in a better position to do that. Brevin Jordan is considered the upside fantasy play at tight end for Houston, but Brown should get ample playing time.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Pharaoh Brown: Considered starter by coach
Rotowire
Houston head coach Lovie Smith labeled Brown as "our starting tight end" during Tuesday's post-practice news conference.
Smith feels Brown is the most complete tight end on the team when taking into account his prowess as a blocker, but the coach also talked about his catching skills and said he'll have a "big role." That may be the case for a team expecting to run the ball often, but once passing situations arise, expect Brevin Jordan to be the lead target at the position.
