The Las Vegas Raiders are starting over, but optimism is high. Rookie Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick, looked like the real deal in his preseason debut, though he won’t start right away. In the meantime, Kirk Cousins is expected to keep the offense steady.
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Now the Raiders have addressed another need, signing veteran wideout Noah Brown on Sunday after his split from the Washington Commanders. The move comes on the back of a rough 2025 season, and landing with an AFC rival still shaping its receiver room, Brown gets a fresh shot to show an eight-year veteran still has something left to offer.
“Raiders signed former Cowboys WR Noah Brown.” Adam Schefter posted on X.
The Raiders made it official on Sunday, adding Brown to their active roster. To make room, they parted ways with defensive tackle Benito Jones.
Brown entered the league back in 2017 as a 7th-round pick out of Ohio State, taken No. 239 overall by Dallas. He’d go on to spend six seasons with the Cowboys, and in 2022 everything clicked. That year he put together his best campaign yet, hauling in 43 passes for 555 yards and three touchdowns across 16 games, 13 of them as a starter.
From there, he moved on to a one-year stop with the Houston Texans before signing with the Washington Commanders. And that’s actually when things got interesting. He ended up playing a real role in Washington’s surprising run to the NFC Championship Game, finishing that stretch with 35 catches, 453 yards, and a touchdown.
The wide receiver position is arguably the Raiders’ biggest question mark right now. The current top three, Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, and Malik Benson, aren’t exactly striking fear into opposing defenses.
Sure, the Raiders have plenty to be excited about with tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty leading the offense, but proven talent at receiver has been in short supply. That’s where Brown comes in.
However, younger players like Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr. look like near locks already, which likely leaves just one spot up for grabs, and Brown will have to fight for it.
What led to Noah Brown’s exit from Washington?
So what actually pushed the Commanders to part ways with him? It really comes down to health, or rather, the lack of it.
Over his two seasons in Washington, Brown put up 40 catches for 536 yards and a touchdown, but he just couldn’t stay on the field. 2025 was the worst of it.
He’d been dealing with groin and knee problems all year, and then a rib injury finally did him in, landing him on injured reserve.
He only suited up for four games, managing five catches for 83 yards, before his season quietly ended when he landed on injured reserve on December 16.
The Commanders made it official through their team X account.
What made that moment sting even more was something Brown had shared just one day earlier. He posted something raw and reflective on Instagram, opening up about faith and staying grounded through hard times.
Reading that now, with a new opportunity in front of him, it hits differently. Meanwhile in Washington, Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs remain firmly atop the receiver depth chart.