The Cleveland Browns made a move on Monday to bolster the wide receiver group by signing undrafted free agent Isaiah Bond.
Originally projected as a Day Two selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, Bond did not hear his name called as he was facing sexual assault allegations. Those charges were “no-billed” by a grand jury in Texas last week, however, and the Browns quickly signed Bond on Monday to a three-year, fully guaranteed contract
.On Tuesday, Bond met with the media for the first time in Cleveland
to talk about why he signed with the Browns and how he plans to repay the team for continuing to show faith in him as he dealt with his legal issues.
Bond started his college career with the Alabama Crimson Tide, the nation’s top college program for the past 18 years, where he spent a season working under Tommy Rees, who is now Cleveland’s offensive coordinator.
His familiarity with Rees, plus the opportunity to play with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, an All-American for the Crimson Tide, made the decision to sign with the Browns an easy one, according to Bond (quotes via a team-provided transcript):
“(Rees) already knows my skillset. (General manager) Andrew Berry and my agent have been talking since the draft. I also admired (Jerry) Jeudy growing up. That’s one reason I went to Alabama, and when my agent said that the Browns want you, I said, let’s go just to be under the wing of a guy like Jerry Jeudy to pick his brain and for him to give me some tips. I said it was a no-brainer.”
As for what comes next, Bond said he hopes to not only repay the Browns but also work to make a positive impact in the community:
“I’m very excited to get to know my teammates and show the Cleveland Brown community why they made the right decision. I want people to know me as a great human, not only just a great athlete. I will be doing community service in the area to people in need, nonprofit organizations for sure.”
Bond spent two seasons at Alabama before transferring to Texas in 2025. In his one season with the Longhorns, Bond had 34 receptions for 540 receiving yards and five touchdowns while averaging 15.9 yards per reception. For his collegiate career, he appeared in 41 games and finished with 99 receptions for 1,428 yards, 14.4 yards per catch, and 10 receiving touchdowns.
As Dawgs By Nature’s Matthew Wilson highlighted, Bond has the speed and acceleration that can put a scare into opposing defenses in certain situations. Look for head coach Kevin Stefanski to use Bond’s speed on screens, end-arounds, and deep passes off of play-action.
While that may be the plan early on, Bond believes there is more to his game than just straight-line speed:
“I think if you actually turn on the tape and instead of just the highlights you watch the film, you would see I’m a complete receiver. I know how to run the whole route tree. I’m not just a fast guy. I’m not just catching screens. If you watch the plays, even when I’m not catching the ball, I get open a lot, so I could just say I’m a very complete receiver, and like I said, I’m ready to bring my time to the field.”
Bond’s NFL career may not be starting the way he anticipated, but now that he is in town, he has a real opportunity to be a difference-maker in an offense that is still looking for big plays.
The Browns showed faith in him while he dealt with his off-field issues; it is now up to Bond to make the most of it and start repaying the team both on and off the field.
