Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has spent nine seasons with the team. And while he wants to stay, his commitment comes with a caveat.
He wants to win.
More accurately, he wants the Browns to show him that they have a plan for winning.
“I’m not trying to rebuild,” Garrett told reporters on Friday, via Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com. “I’m trying to win right now. And I want that to be apparent when the season is over and we have those discussions. I want them to be able to illuminate, illustrate that for me so that can be something I can see in the near future.”
It’s going to be hard to do it, given that $92 million in cash — and many more millions in cap dollars — remain committed to quarterback Deshaun Watson, the centerpiece of the worst trade-and-sign in NFL history. Beyond the key players the Browns sacrificed to acquire him, the $230 million, fully-guaranteed contract makes it harder to pay others.
Garrett, like Watson, is signed for two more years. If the Browns don’t sufficiently persuade Garrett that they have a plan for winning sooner than later, why wouldn’t he want out?
The clock is ticking on his career; he turns 29 in only nine days.
And so the ball is in Cleveland’s court. Can they persuade Garrett that there’s a path to winning, even with the added weight of the Watson trade?
When quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson makes his first start of the year this Sunday, he may have Cleveland’s best tight end back on the field to face Cincinnati.
The Browns have listed tight end David Njoku as questionable for the contest.
Njoku (hamstring) missed last week’s loss to the Chiefs.
“He’s very motivated to play,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said Friday, via Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. “We’ll see how he responds to practicing today and make the decision.”
Njoku has recorded 56 catches for 439 yards with five touchdowns in 10 games this season.
Receiver Cedric Tillman (concussion) also may be able to return, with Stefanski expressing optimism he’ll clear protocol. The same goes for cornerback Martin Emerson, who suffered a concussion last weekend. Both players are officially questionable.
While Jameis Winston was initially slated to be the No. 2 quarterback this weekend, Stefanski noted on Friday that Winston is dealing with some shoulder soreness. If he’s not able to be the backup, that job will go to Bailey Zappe. Winston has been listed as questionable.
Defensive tackle Shelby Harris (elbow) has been ruled out.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (back) is off the injury report and set to play.
The first piece of the Bengals’ playoff puzzle fell into place with Thursday night’s Broncos loss and they’ll have two important players on hand as they try for the second piece on Sunday.
Head coach Zac Taylor said that quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Tee Higgins will both play against the Browns. Burrow has been limited in practice with right wrist and knee issues while Higgins did not practice on Thursday. Higgins was listed with a knee injury as well as rest.
Tight end Tanner Hudson hurt his knee in practice on Thursday and Taylor indicated that he’s unlikely to play this weekend.
The Bengals need to win out while the Broncos lose out and the Dolphins and Colts each lose at least one more game. The Bengals face the Broncos in Week 17, so they will be in position to make things interesting by beating the Browns.
On Thursday, TheAthletic.com dropped a report on the Jets’ organizational dysfunction, including the note that owner Woody Johnson nixed a trade for Jerry Jeudy because Johnson felt Jeudy’s rating on EA Sports’ Madden NFL video game was too low.
Jeudy, who was instead traded to the Browns in March and signed an extension with the club, was asked his feelings on that report.
“To be honest, I don’t believe it. I think that’s fake news,” Jeudy said, via Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan. “For real, why would somebody look at Madden ratings? Be real. I don’t think that’s real, but it is funny.”
If it is true, however, Jeudy’s not mad about it.
“I’m glad that I’m here,” Jeudy said. “I’m glad my Madden rating was low. Yeah, got me here.”
Jeudy’s season took off when Jameis Winston became Cleveland’s QB1 in Late October. He’s now set career highs with 70 receptions and 1,052 yards. He’s also caught four touchdowns.
“I feel like I belong there,” Jeudy said. “I’ve been working my tail off through this whole off season and now it’s finally showing being put in a position I’m in now. Now it’s time to take advantage of every opportunity coming forward.”
The Browns added Myles Garrett to the practice report Thursday with a back injury that kept him sidelined for the session.
His status for Sunday’s game against the Bengals is unknown.
Garrett was poked in the eye during Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs and missed four plays but returned to finish the game. An eye specialist cleared him Monday, and he was not on Wednesday’s practice report.
He is a half sack short of 100 sacks for his career, having gone sackless against Kansas City.
The Browns practiced without defensive end Shelby Harris (elbow) and tight end David Njoku (hamstring) a second consecutive day.
Quarterback Jameis Winston (right shoulder) was downgraded to limited after being a full participant Wednesday.
Wide receiver Cedric Tillman (concussion) and defensive back Cameron Mitchell (knee) again were limited, and cornerback Martin Emerson (concussion) returned to practice on a limited basis.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (knee) remained a full participant.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow remained limited in Thursday’s practice.
He has a knee injury in addition to the right wrist issue he has dealt with all year.
Burrow is expected to play in Sunday’s game against the Browns.
A bigger concern might be wide receiver Tee Higgins, who didn’t practice Thursday after being limited Wednesday. Higgins is listed with rest/knee.
The Bengals added tight end Tanner Hudson (knee) as a limited participant, a sign he was injured during practice. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson also popped up on the practice report with a finger injury as a full participant.
Safety Geno Stone (shoulder) was upgraded to full participation after being limited a day earlier.
Offensive tackle Orlando Brown (fibula), defensive end Sam Hubbard (knee), defensive tackle Kris Jenkins (illness) and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. (illness) remained non-participants. Hubbard tore a PCL, which could end his season.
Offensive guard Alex Cappa (concussion) and wide receiver Charlie Jones (groin) again were limited.
Dysfunctional teams indeed do dysfunctional things.
The latest evidence of dysfunction within the New York Jets comes from TheAthletic.com. Among various juicy nuggets contained in the #longread is a claim that owner Woody Johnson nixed a trade with the Broncos for receiver Jerry Jeudy because Johnson believed Jeudy’s Madden rating was too low.
Per the report, that wasn’t the only time Johnson cited Madden ratings in connection with football decisions. Johnson reportedly pushed back on signing guard John Simpson because his “awareness” rating on Madden was too low. (Maybe even lower than Woody’s.)
The Madden factor apparently comes from Woody’s teenage sons, Brick and Jack.
“When we’re discussing things, you’ll hear Woody cite something that Brick or Jack read online that’s being weighed equally against whatever opinion someone else in the department has,” an unnamed Jets executive told TheAthletic.com.
The Jets actually provided a statement to TheAthletic.com acknowledging the involvement of the teens, and defending it.
“It is used as a reference point; it is not determinative,” a Jets spokesperson said regarding Brick and Jack’s input. “It’s really sad that an adult would use a misleading anecdote about teenagers to make their father look bad. It’s ridiculous, quite honestly, the idea that this was used to influence the opinion of experienced executives. . . . [The sons] have no roles in the organization. It’s completely ridiculous to suggest that any outside info is intended to replace the opinions of [Woody Johnson’s] staff.”
They might have no official role, but let’s face it. They eventually will. And one of them likely will inherit the team, unless Woody sells it.
And even if there’s no official role for now, Brick was handing out a game ball after a rare victory.
“It was the most awkward, cringe-worthy, brutal experience,” an unnamed player told TheAthletic.com.
It feels like the Jets under Woody Johnson are constantly prompting that reaction.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice.
Burrow is dealing with a knee injury in addition to the right wrist issue he’s dealt with all year.
But with Burrow addressing the media on Wednesday, it doesn’t appear it’s going to keep the quarterback off of the field for Sunday’s game against the Browns.
Receiver Tee Higgins (knee/rest), guard Alex Cappa (concussion), receiver Charlie Jones (groin), and safety Geno Stone (shoulder) were also limited on Wednesday.
Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (illness), offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (fibula), defensive tackle Kris Jenkins (illness), and defensive end Sam Hubbard (knee) did not practice.
Offensive lineman Cody Ford (illness) was a full participant.
There are plenty of questions about the future of the quarterback position in Cleveland and Dorian Thompson-Robinson wants to make sure that his name is among the potential answers.
The Browns named Thompson-Robinson their starter for this week’s game against the Bengals and head coach Kevin Stefanski said that the team will go week-to-week from here when it comes to naming a starter. That makes it a big opportunity for the 2023 fifth-round pick to show he’s the right guy for the job over the final three games.
During a media availability on Wednesday, Thompson-Robinson said he’s “super excited” about the opportunity and that it’s also something he’s viewing as a chance to show that he should be in the mix for the job in 2025.
“Oh yeah, oh yeah,” Thompson-Robinson said. “Best believe we’re trying to take full advantage of it, too. We’re going to go out there and we’re going to try to win these games.”
Deshaun Watson remains under contract, but his guarantees involve his salary rather than his role so Thompson-Robinson can make a case for himself at the end of another disappointing season in Cleveland.
Jameis Winston is out as the Browns’ starting quarterback, but he said on Wednesday that he’s not done trying to assist the team.
Winston said that he will pivot to helping Dorian Thompson-Robinson “be the best that he can be” now that he’ll be leading the offense. Winston said he believes Thompson-Robinson will do an “amazing job” in the role while also making it clear that he thinks he can do the same thing in 2025.
Winston called this week’s benching another “speed bump” for him to deal with in his career.
“I’m gonna continue to pursue my dream,” Winston said. “I hope that another team or this team gives me an opportunity to show what I’m capable of. I’m just gonna keep getting better.”
Winston said there are things he knows have to be “fixed” in his game while reiterating his faith that he’s shown he can be a starter. It’s hard to imagine Winston changing all that much 10 years into his NFL career, but the player that he’s been for the last decade could still factor into some team’s plans at the position in 2025.
