Cleveland Browns release former Wisconsin cornerback

Cleveland Browns release former Wisconsin cornerback

The Cleveland Browns released former Wisconsin cornerback Faion Hicks on Monday. The move came as the Browns worked to trim their roster down to the required total of 53 to enter the 2024 season.

Hicks had just signed with the Browns at the start of August after spending the first two seasons of his NFL career with the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints respectively.

Related: Every former Wisconsin Badger to make an NFL 53-man roster entering 2024 regular season

The former Badger cornerback was a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft by the Broncos. He spent most of 2022 on the team’s practice squad, appearing in two games. He saw his only action on special teams.

The Broncos went on to release Hicks entering the 2023 season, which led the cornerback to sign with the New Orleans Saints that September. He spent 2023 on the Saints practice squad before he was released earlier this offseason.

Hicks saw limited action this preseason after signing with the Browns on Aug. 4. He played 57% of the team’s defensive snaps in its Preseason Week 3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, a sign that he was a longshot to make the active roster.

The former Badger could again be a practice squad candidate once waivers clear.

Hicks is still in search of a steady NFL landing spot after playing for four years at Wisconsin (2018-2021). He and Caesar Williams formed the Badgers lock-down cornerback duo on the program’s record-setting 2021 defense. That year was Hicks’ best as a Badger. He recorded 28 tackles and a career-high 10 pass deflections.

The former Badger will now wait for waivers to clear to sign on a practice squad for the third consecutive season.

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