Will the Browns be able to smooth things over with Jedrick Wills?
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski will ride with Jameis Winston while fans pine over the improved play of former QB Baker Mayfield. But Stefanski has other fish to fry thanks to a “business decision” by Jedrick Wills that led to a benching.
The struggling Browns enter Week 11 with a record of 2-7, going nowhere fast. And it doesn’t help matters that Kendrick, a fifth-year veteran tackle opted out of a recent game.
Wills revealed Monday he decided not to face the Ravens on Oct. 27 because of an injury. A benching followed with Dawand Jones taking his spot.
Browns OT Jedrick Wills caught off guard by move
Wills said he didn’t expect to lose his spot, according to cleveland.com.
“I mean, it was pretty shocking,” Wills said of getting benched before the 27-10 loss to the Chargers Nov. 3 despite being healthy by then. “I mean, I decided myself that, I made a business decision not to play after the Bengals game going into that Ravens game because I was injured. And then the next week is when I received the news.”
The 6-foot-5, 307-pound Wills carries an overall grade of 52.9, according to Pro Football Focus. His pass-blocking grade is better at 63.6, but perhaps the numbers have something to do with the benching?
Wills came to the Browns as the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. However, he hasn’t earned any postseason honors in his career. His injury occurred Oct. 20 against the Bengals.
“It got hyperextended on the very first play,” he said. “I kind of felt it, but we were going up on the ball and everybody was getting set, so I was like, ‘well, I’ll stay in, if it hurts later and I’ve got to come out, then it is what it is.’ But I ended up finishing the game. The next day I got some treatment and stuff. And my knee was really swollen. I couldn’t really bend it. So played out the week how it went. I wasn’t ready for gametime, so I didn’t end up playing.”
What does the future look like for Wills with Browns?
Wills stands in the final year of his contract. So this could be his last dance in Cleveland. He said not being able to produce his normal level impacted the decision not to play against the Ravens.
“You wouldn’t want to go out there and put forth 70% of your effort while you’re injured,” Wills said. “And then you have somebody else who can go out there and give 100%, you know what I mean? I don’t want to be out there the whole time thinking about my knee. I got to focus on my assignment. Like you said, in the past with my ankles, I played and I didn’t play as good. So why would I do the same thing risking a worse knee injury?”
