Dawgs By Nature
Cleveland moves on from long snapper Charley Hughlett after 10 seasons with the club.
The Cleveland Browns made a bit of a surprising move late Monday afternoon with the announcement that the team has terminated the contract of veteran long-snapper Charley Hughlett.
Hughlett joined the Browns in 2014 after being signed off the practice squad of the Kansas City Chiefs. He went on to play in 152 consecutive games before suffering a rib injury in the Week 5 loss to the Washington Commanders in 2024.
That injury landed Hughlett on the injured reserve list, where he remained for the rest of the season. He finishes his Cleveland career at No. 15 on the franchise’s all-time list of games played and was the second-longest tenured player on the roster, behind just left guard Joel Bitonio.
General manager Andrew Berry called the decision to release Hughlett “bittersweet” in a prepared statement:
“This is a bittersweet transaction for our organization because we hate separating from a valued and long-tenured player for our team. However, it also gives us the opportunity to express sincere gratitude and appreciation for all Charley has done for the Browns on and off the field. Charley’s career is a story of perseverance, work ethic and self-belief. He’s a special individual who we will welcome home as a Cleveland Brown after his career is complete.”
Shortly after the news broke, Hughlett took to social media to thank Cleveland and say he is not ready to call it quits:
“Thank you, Cleveland for 10 great years! While I had hoped to continue my time here, I am truly appreciative of so many people in the organization as well as the community. Cleveland will always be a special place to my family and I. With that being said, I know I have a few good years left, and look forward to seeing what the future brings!”
Hughlett played collegiately at Central Florida and originally entered the NFL in 2012 as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys. He moved around from the New England Patriots to the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Kansas City Chiefs before finding a home with the Browns at the end of the 2014 season.
Dawgs By Nature’s Barry Shuck caught up with Hughlett prior to training camp in 2024 for a wide-ranging interview where Hughlett talked about his NFL journey, how he first learned he had made Cleveland’s roster, what it was like during the 0-16 season, and life in general playing one of the game’s less glamorous positions.
