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Do the Cleveland Browns know what they have in Rashard Higgins?

By Elliot Kennel

CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 18: Wide receiver Rashard Higgins #81 of the Cleveland Browns runs onto the field during the player introductions prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 18, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 18: Wide receiver Rashard Higgins #81 of the Cleveland Browns runs onto the field during the player introductions prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 18, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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Dec 15, 2019; Glendale, AZ, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry (80), Odell Beckham Jr. (13) and Rashard Higgins (81) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 15, 2019; Glendale, AZ, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry (80), Odell Beckham Jr. (13) and Rashard Higgins (81) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Coach Kitchens got zero from Higgins in 2019

After the great promise of 2018, the Browns added Odell Beckham, Jr., amid great fanfare, while Breshad Perriman left in a huff. Higgins was happy to be back with the Browns, and it seemed like a great situation. However, things fell apart in a hurry. Higgins came up with an MCL knee injury in the season opener, though Higgins was able to practice and felt he was good to go by game 5. Kitchens, however, felt that Higgins was not a viable receiver at that point, especially with Landry and OBJ available.

Scuttlebutt was that Kitchens activated him and ordered him into the game on Game 6 versus Seattle and Higgins refused to go in the game. No explanation was given. It would not be totally crazy to learn he had re-injured the knee during pre-game warm-ups or something, but no explanation was ever given to the media.

This whole affair is completely unbelievable. It was so out of character for a player who was always ready to play football for the Cleveland Brown and who had never been a bit of trouble. For his part, Kitchens claimed that everything was fine between himself and Higgins and denied holding any kind of a grudge. Nevertheless, Higgins managed to wind up with only four catches on the season for 55 yards, which was even worse than his rookie season.

The story from Kitchens sort of sounds like he was just coaching, minding his own business, and Rashard Higgins just spontaneously fell apart. Maybe his knee actually fell off.

It turns out that Dee and Jimmy Haslam do not hold grudges either, but after 2019, John Dorsey was no longer the general manager and Freddie Kitchens was no longer the coach.

Andrew Berry decided to liberate Higgins and David Njoku, two receivers who were deep in the Kitchens doghouse. Higgins was offered an NFL minimum contract. Loyalty to Baker Mayfield was said to be the major reason he did not go elsewhere, despite the 2019 disaster.

We have to assume that, in Higgins’ view, the entire problem boils down to a coaching malfunction, and with a new coaching staff, he would get a new chance in 2020. He was proven right.

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