The Cleveland Browns have signed cornerback Tony Brown to their 53-man active roster, the NFL team announced on Thursday.
The former Alabama standout has played in the Browns’ past three games after being elevated from the practice squad for each. NFL rules prohibit a player from being elevated from the practice squad to active status more than three times, so to keep Brown on the field, Cleveland needed to sign him to its 53-man active roster.
The Browns had a place for Brown on the active roster after waiving three players earlier this week.
Those players included former Central-Phenix City and Alabama offensive lineman Javion Cohen. In addition to moving Brown to its active roster from the practice squad, Cleveland re-signed Cohen for its practice squad on Thursday.
After playing for the Crimson Tide in 2020, 2021 and 2022, Cohen made the Browns’ active roster coming out of the preseason as an undrafted rookie from Miami (Fla.). He played in one game before being waived on Tuesday.
On his first play of the season for Cleveland, Brown caused a fumble on the opening kickoff against the New York Giants on Sept. 22, and he has been on the field for 69 special-teams plays across the past three games.
The Browns play the Philadelphia Eagles at noon CDT Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Brown entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 2018 from Alabama’s 2017 CFP national championship team. In 64 NFL games, he has been on the field for 494 defensive snaps and 1,126 special-teams plays.
