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Former Browns pass-rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka’s NFL career appears to be over just a few years after he entered the league as a first-round pick.

Tryon-Shoyinka was placed on the reserve/retired list, according to the NFL transaction wire on Tuesday. The move comes as a surprise considering Tryon-Shoyinka is just 27 years old and had signed with the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this offseason.

Tryon-Shoyinka had a brief stop with the Cleveland Browns last season after signing with the team in free agency. Cleveland added him hoping he could provide some rotational pass-rush help behind Myles Garrett and the rest of the defensive front. However, the fit never fully materialized.

The Browns traded Tryon-Shoyinka to the Chicago Bears during the season in a late-round pick swap. Chicago received Tryon-Shoyinka and a 2026 seventh-round pick, while Cleveland landed a 2026 sixth-rounder.

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka Didn’t Live Up to First-Round Billing

Tryon-Shoyinka entered the NFL with significant expectations. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2021 draft after his college career at Washington. He had the size, length and athletic profile teams covet off the edge, but he never developed into the consistent difference-maker.

He spent four seasons with the Buccaneers, starting 45 games and recording 15 sacks, 21 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. His best season came in 2022, when he posted 4 sacks, 6 tackles for loss and 14 quarterback hits.

Tryon-Shoyinka remained a useful rotational defender at times, but his production never matched his draft slot. Tampa Bay declined his fifth-year option, and his post-Buccaneers career became a series of short stops with Cleveland, Chicago and Philadelphia. Tryon-Shoyinka had just nine tackles in his time with the Browns.

Browns Searching for Pass-Rush Depth After Myles Garrett Trade

The Browns are moving forward without Garrett after trading the franchise cornerstone to the Los Angeles Rams in one of the biggest deals of the offseason. Cleveland received edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick in return.

General manager Andrew Berry acknowledged the weight of the decision, making it clear the Browns did not enter the offseason expecting to move Garrett.

“Our intent was to have him be a one-helmet player for his career — and that was the truth,” Berry said. “And even to this day, when Myles’ career is over, we look forward to welcoming him back into the organization.”

Verse became the centerpiece of that calculation in the deal.

“Jared Verse, he’s obviously a huge part of this return for us,” Berry said. “Jared is an outstanding football player, former Defensive Rookie of the Year, two-time original ballot Pro Bowler. He’s a perfect DNA match for our attacking front. He’s really a terror in both phases as a run defender and a pass rusher. And we are really, really excited to add him to our team.”

The Browns have young pieces such as Alex Wright, Isaiah McGuire and Julian Okwara in the mix, but replacing Garrett is not a one-player job.

“I’m not here to fill his shoes,” Verse said. “I’m here to bring my own. I’m here to work and be the best version of me.”

Verse has already shown he can be a high-end NFL pass-rusher. He was the No. 19 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and quickly became one of the Rams’ top defensive players. He earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons.

J.R. DeGroote Browns beat writer for Heavy.com. Covering the NFL and NBA since 2019. ASU Cronkite grad. More about J.R. DeGroote