NFL Trade Deadline Passes and Peyton Hillis is Still on the Browns
It seemed highly unlikely that running back Peyton Hillis would be traded on Tuesday, despite the rumors that were running wild leading up to the 4 p.m. trade deadline.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said on air Tuesday that the Browns “could be persuaded” to make a deal for Hillis, who has been surrounded by drama throughout this season. Naturally, that produced a worrisome afternoon for Browns fans, as they anxiously awaited to see what would happen to the running back.
Head coach Pat Shurmur tried to squash any trade speculation surrounding Hillis during his Monday press conference by simply saying that the running back would not be traded, but even that had little impact.
It just appears to be that kind of season for Hillis and the Browns. No matter what the team says, nothing will calm the fears of fans or the media speculation until he is signed to a new contract. The way Hillis has been utilized on the field isn’t helping matters at all, either, and now that he has a left hamstring injury, the problem is just compounded further.
Getting healthy and producing on the field, though, will help Hillis stop his fast-moving downward spiral of a season that very few people expected to see.