Cleveland Browns rookie wide receiver Antonio Callaway had a good NFL debut last week. He finished the game against New York Giants with three receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown while playing 54 plays. It turns out that the reason why Browns’ coach Hue Jackson left him for so long in the game was to punish him.
Callaway, who already came to Cleveland with a problematic reputation, was arrested for marijuana possession and a suspended license last week. He failed to tell the Browns about it, and the Hue Jackson had to find about it like anyone else. This was when he decided to employ a bit unexpected strategy.
“I was trying to make him play the whole game if we could. I did not want him to come out,” – Jackson told the media of Callaway’s game versus the Giants. “That was part of the consequence of what he has been through, and he knows it. That is what it was. Either you sit him or make him play. I thought it was better to make him play.”
“Make him play as long as he could. There were a couple of times he kept waving to come out, and we said, ‘No, stay in,‘” – Browns’ coach added.
While playing at Florida, Antonio Callaway served several suspensions which ultimately caused his draft stocks to drop. Although seen as a talented WR, NFL teams were reluctant to draft him due to his previous issues. This is where Cleveland Browns decided to gamble and took Callaway in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. If the 21-year-old manages to overcome his problematic behavior, the Browns got a steal. If not, they might face the same problems they have with Josh Gordon.
