Joe Haden was unceremoniously dismissed but he’ll always be a member of the Cleveland Browns

Joe Haden was one of the best Cleveland Browns to ever do it.

Joe Haden will retire as a member of the Cleveland Browns, a team he never should have left in the first place. The former first-round pick was taken by the Browns in 2010 and instantly became one of the best cornerbacks in the league. His tenacity and affable personality made him beloved by the Cleveland fanbase and became the pillar of the defense.

Much like fellow Joe, Joe Thomas. did for the offense. Both Joe’s were often times the lone bright spot on the team during the most tumultuous times in Browns’ history. Becoming the potential building blocks of a playoff team that never was.

Haden’s time with the Browns was unceremoniously cut short in 2017 when Sashi Brown decided Haden was no longer worth the money. Brown wanted Haden to restructure his deal but Haden, rightfully, refused.

This then saw the Browns attempt to trade Haden to no avail and instead, the team just opted to release him. Haden then took his talents two hours east to Pittsburgh. The two-time Pro Bowler for Cleveland and shut-down corner deserved better than that.

Instead of being part of the revival and pairing up with Denzel Ward for what would have been an amazing cornerback duo, Haden was a Steelers the year the Browns finally got back to the playoffs, and ironically, defeated his new team in the first round.

Apparently, the Los Angeles Rams had an interest in Haden before he announced his retirement.

Joe Haden is not a Hall of Famer but a Cleveland Browns legend

It’s hard to consider Joe Haden a Pro Football Hall of Famer, as he really didn’t have the accolades or post-season presence needed to ascend to those heights. Maybe if he played a few more years, and earned a few more Pro Bowl nod, he would have gotten there, but sadly, that isn’t the path he’ll be going down in life.

Haden, however, will be one of the greatest Browns ever. He played seven seasons in Cleveland, earned two Pro Bowl nods, probably should have earned two more, and became a fan favorite player. To this day, I and many other fans have not forgiven Brown for cutting him so needlessly. It’s not like the cornerback spot was overflowing with talent, nor was the team really cash-strapped.

Hopefully, Haden will go into the Browns Ring of Honor and be inducted as a member of the Browns Legends.