Rashard Higgins’ role, or lack thereof, in the Cleveland Browns offense this season has been the subject of lots of questions. Angry questions.
Why can’t he get on the field even now that he’s healthy?
Why is he playing behind Antonio Callaway, who has struggled all season with drops and route knowledge?
Did Higgins do something to get into coach Freddie Kitchens’ doghouse?
We now have a little more light on an idea of how those questions might be answered. Sort of…
Jason Lloyd of The Athletic documented what has been widely reported around Berea but never publicly acknowledged by either the Browns or Higgins,
He said afterward that he wasn’t sure why he didn’t play, but multiple sources told The Athletic in recent weeks that Higgins was told to go into the game and declined. The reasons behind it remain a mystery. When I pressed him again about it this week, Higgins refused to talk about the Seattle game.
Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken danced around the injury issue in his press conference on Thursday when he was asked why Higgins didn’t have a bigger role.
“First off, it is tough for Rashard just the way the year started and in terms of I thought had a really good preseason and camp, then had a real good start to the year and then he got hurt,” Monken said of Higgins. “I would not say it was a setback, but it certainly does not help when you are not practicing and you are not out there.”
Higgins has three receptions for 48 yards in three games thus far. In 2019, he was an integral part of Baker Mayfield’s receiving arsenal and security blanket on third downs. He caught 39 passes for 572 yards and four touchdowns, with 27 of his receptions accounting for first downs.
The fourth-year wideout is a free agent at the end of the season.
