There is always a revisionist history with professional sports. Many teams should have drafted Tom Brady sooner and letting players like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen slip out of the top two or three picks looks silly now.
When the Cleveland Browns made Jedrick Wills the first pick of the Andrew Berry, Kevin Stefanski era, many were hoping that the Alabama tackle would make a quick transition to the left side due his athletic ability. As a rookie, compared to the bad lines the previous year, Wills looked good.
Since then, Browns fans have questioned his effort, heart and desire to play the game. Without being in the locker room, and with no rumors or reports leaking out, it is tough to know what was really true about Wills.
Until the Monday after the bye week in 2024.
Wills admitted to deciding not to play in Week 8 against the Baltimore Ravens, calling it a “business decision.” While he might regret using those words, Wills made it clear that he made the decision to not play even though he could have:
“I mean, you wouldn’t want to go out there and put forth 70% of your effort while you’re injured, and then you have somebody else who can go out there and give 100%, you know what I mean,” Wills said. “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?”
Overall, the reasoning would be fine if HC Kevin Stefanski and his staff made it believing that was what was best for the team. Wills deciding for himself that he would rather not play at 70% (in a league where most are playing around that level week to week) and then calling it a business decision is highly problematic:
“I mean, it was pretty shocking,” Wills said. “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.”
Describing getting benched the week after his business decision as “shocking” is... shocking. Similar to Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson admitting he asked to be subbed out of a game because he was tired, then being benched for Joe Flacco, players have to know there are things they can’t do in football and expect no consequences.
Cleveland legend and Hall of Famer had a very simple reaction to Wills’ words:
In the final year of his rookie contract, it is likely that Wills be suiting up somewhere else in 2025. Some players need a change of scenery or to be humbled before they become the player they are capable of. Given the need for even decent offensive line help in the NFL, Wills will likely get a starting opportunity next year and a decent contract.
Will he continue to prove doubting Browns fans right in his new home or turnover a new leaf? For now, his business decision has led to his benching.
