Veteran wide receiver Jarvis Landry sounded off on his future with the Cleveland Browns via social media Tuesday, sending a message to the team and those who think he’s over the hill.
There’s been much speculation about Landry returning to the Browns, where he has spent the last four seasons. Landry fired off a series of tweets saying he wants to be back but the ball is firmly in Cleveland’s court.
Landry first addressed his injury issues, which were really a moot point prior to this year. Landry did not miss a start through his first six seasons and the only game he missed last year was due to COVID-19.
Landry took his first trip to the IR with a knee issue this year, posting 52 catches for 570 yards and two touchdowns last season — all career-lows.
“Reality behind all this is I came back to play in the best shape of my life, I got hurt week 2 with a high grade MCL Sprain, partial quad tear and bone bruise. Then came back way to early and ended up staying hurt the entire season. You never heard me mention anything about it,” Landry tweeted.
He later added: “Before this year I missed 0 games. So push y’all narrative, it’s noted.”
Landry Said Media Silence Was Due to Health
Landry also sounded off on the fact that he did not speak to the media for the majority of the season, his final team-organized press conference coming in October.
“My media availability didn’t happen because I was focused on getting on the field as healthy as possible during the week and after games,” Landry wrote. “Strategic plan was set in place to be followed. I put the ball in CLE court by telling them I would like to stay but if not then I’m confident enough in myself to be a better healthy me this year and moving forward to helping do my part in winning a championship elsewhere.”
There are more than a few signs that the Browns could move on from Landry. The 29-year-old carries a salary of more than $15 million for next season and has no guaranteed money left on his deal. The Browns would save $14.8 million against the cap by trading or cutting Landry.
The Browns have yet to ask Jarvis Landry to restructure his contract, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. They are expected to meet next week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Browns Have Much Respect for Landry’s Contributions
Landry has become a leader in Cleveland and helped spur the cultural shift when he was traded to the Browns in 2018. Browns general manager Andrew Berry addressed Landry’s time in Cleveland during his end-of-year press conference on January 11.
“I think everybody on this call knows how much respect we have for Jarvis Landry and really what he has meant for our team and organization over the past several years,” Berry told reporters. “He has been a productive player for us really since the day that we traded for him, and he has been really a key piece in terms of how the team and organization has evolved over the last several years.”
While Landry has done some great things while in a Browns uniform, he likely understands that there’s a good shot the team lets him go or firmly asks him to restructure. With the tweets, he’s getting ahead of the narrative.
“I GAVE EVERYTHING,” Landry tweeted.
Landry just watched his best friend Odell Beckham Jr. force his way out and become a major contributor on a Super Bowl-winning squad. From the tone of Landry’s tweets, he feel like he has a lot left in his tank and could put himself in a similar situation.
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