One of the problems for a player who has been given a limited chance to play is that, sometimes, when the opportunity does arise, the player might not quite be ready, or may find himself suddenly making unwanted mistakes. For Cleveland Browns receiver Isaiah Bond, that very much appeared to be the case on Sunday against the Jets. He is firmly No. 3 or 4 in the team’s wide receiver pecking order, but when KC Concepcion went down with a head injury in the first quarter, Bond got the call and the chance to cement his place in the WR room.
After playing 16 snaps in the first four games combined, Bond played 40 on Sunday. And he did catch three balls for 74 yards. But he was targeted seven times, and Pro Football Focus counted him with two drops on those four misses. Bond does not necessarily have bad hands–he had one drop on 42 targets last season.
Isaiah Bond Missed Opportunity for Browns
But Bond also had a questionable decision during the fourth quarter of the game that could have cost the Browns considerably. He made a catch for 30 yards from Deshaun Watson and, replays showed, had room to cut back upfield and perhaps even score a touchdown–no one was ahead of him. Instead, Bond trotted out of bounds at the Jets’ 20-yard line.
Talking with Scott Petrak of the Chronicle-Telegram, Bond said, “My headspace in the game I thought I was definitely way closer to the sideline. It was definitely one of those bang-bang type of plays and definitely one of those plays I wish I had back.”
He continued: “That’s definitely one of those plays where you look back at it on film, like a lot of plays, and wish you could’ve did something differently. I think it was another play just like that.”
Bond has talent–some considered him a potential first-round pick had he not had sexual assault allegations (which were never charged) brought against him just ahead of the 2025 draft–and it is likely the Browns will continue to try to use him. But limiting mistakes when he gets opportunities will be key.
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