Former Alabama lineman’s ‘business decision’ angers Browns fans
Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. said on Monday that he made a “business decision” not to play against the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 27, and that choice of words brought a torrent of criticism via talk shows and social media directed at the former Alabama standout.
It also appears to have gotten him benched.
Wills spoke to reporters as the Browns returned from their bye week. The 10th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Wills had started every game that he had played for Cleveland at left tackle until the Browns’ previous contest, when Dawand Jones started there in a 27-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Wills played two offensive snaps.
“It was pretty shocking,” Wills said. “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.”
Wills missed the final nine games of the 2023 season after he sustained a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee in a 27-0 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 5, 2023. Wills wasn’t ready to start the 2024 season on time either. He missed three of the first four games.
But Wills played every offensive snap in three straight games before he didn’t dress for Cleveland’s 29-24 victory over the Ravens.
Wills said he aggravated his knee injury in a 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 20, even though he played all 84 offensive snaps for the Browns.
“I got hyperextended on the very first play,” Wills 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 got to come out, it is what it is.’ But I ended up finishing the game. Then the next day I got some treatment and stuff, and my knee was really swollen, and I couldn’t really bend it. So played out the week how it went. I wasn’t ready for game time.”
Wills said he was dealing with cartilage damage and a bone bruise in addition to the swelling. He had fluid drained from the knee and did not practice in the week before the Baltimore game. But he said the decision not to play against the Ravens was his.
“I mean, you wouldn’t want to go out there and put forth 70 percent of your effort while you’re injured,” Wills said, “and then you have somebody else who can go out there and give a hundred. 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 and who I’m blocking. In the past with high ankles, I played and I didn’t play as good. So why would I do the same thing risking a worse knee injury?”
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