The recent return of Phillip Rivers to the Indianapolis Colts prompts consideration of which players might be pulled out of retirement to help other teams in the league. Given the dysfunction that the Cleveland Browns have had over the years, there aren’t many great players who have spent a large portion of their career dominating in Cleveland. Even with that, there are still a few players who have retired in the last few years who could maybe help out this struggling roster.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper
spent just over two seasons with the Browns after Andrew Berry made a trade to bring him over in 2022. Cooper had two seasons with over 1,000 yards receiving and was a real focal point of the Cleveland offense. He announced his retirement from football in September 2025, but at just 31 years old, it’s easy to wonder if Cooper could help contribute to this Browns roster. The Cleveland offense has struggled to find any consistency in its wide receiver group this year, and even with Cooper’s decline, he would certainly be a better option than several guys on the current roster.
Another previous Browns receiver who had some success during his time in Cleveland is Rashard Higgins. His career really took off due to his connection at the time with Baker Mayfield, and fans were endeared by his love for the Browns. Though a lesser talent than Amari Cooper, a 31-year-old Higgins could bring a spark to the Cleveland offense and an appreciation for the city that is so desperately missing from this current group.
Christian Kirksey also signed a one-day contract to retire as a Brown last year and Za’Darius Smith quickly after signing with the Philadelphia Eagles this year as well, but Cleveland’s defense doesn’t have the same need as the other side of the ball.
Let me know what you think in the comments – What Browns player would you pull out of retirement to help this team?
