CLEVELAND — Jarvis Landry’s tenure with the Miami Dolphins ended unceremoniously when he was traded to the Cleveland Browns for a pair of picks in the NFL Draft during the 2018 offseason, but after arriving in Northeast Ohio, the talented wide receiver signed a lucrative contract extension and has become one of the offense’s leaders.
Now some 20 months after the trade, Landry is preparing to face his former team when the Dolphins come to FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland Sunday, and his Browns teammates count themselves fortunate to have him on their side for the matchup.
“Jarvis is an unbelievable teammate and an even better guy to have in your locker room, just the person he is, who he is a person, what he stands for, his values,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “The family aspect that he brings.
“He’s a guy that plays with so much passion. I know I talked about it after the Bills game, but that’s the great part about him on the field, but being a leader and a role model for everyone in this locker room every day, it goes much farther than that.”
Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. added, “I’ve been a part of his journey since we were 16, 17 years old. I know every bit and piece, every story and everything that’s going on. Just to watch him, I’m going to be excited. He always gets me fired up, whether we’re playing the Dolphins or whoever. He always gets me fired up just the way he plays, and I know he’s going to be intense this week.”
Over his four-year career with the Dolphins, Landry turned 400 catches into 4,038 yards and 22 touchdowns. He averaged 10.1 yards per catch and 63.1 yards per game to go along with 38 catches of at least 20 yards, seven 40-yard plays and 220 first downs.
The 5-foot-11, 208-pound Landry had two 110-catch seasons (2015, 2017) and two 1,100-yard years (2015, 2016) on his resume.
“It’s motivating,” Beckham Jr. said. “Anytime someone gives up on you, it’s motivating. It’s not even so much to prove them wrong. That’s all ego-based. It’s more like confidence within yourself, just to know who you truly are.
“A game like this is going to mean a lot. When he goes for 156 yards and two touchdowns and nine receptions, he’s going to go home and he’s going to have a smile, be able to hug his kids and he’s going to love and enjoy that. He’s going to give everything he has, the same way he does every Sunday. If he does have extra, he’s going to give it to ‘em this week for sure.”
During his first season with the Browns after being traded by the Dolphins, Landry turned his 81 receptions into 976 yards and four touchdowns, rushed for 60 yards and one score on just three attempts and completed one of his two passes for 63 yards.
Additionally, Landry, who earned Pro Bowl status for his contributions to the team.
Through 10 games this season, Landry has caught 49 passes for 695 yards, 33 first downs and three touchdowns, and he is very much looking forward to building on those numbers and helping the Browns earn a victory over the Dolphins.
“Jarvis comes to work every day,” Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said. “He tries to compete every day. He tries to get better and competes with himself every day to get himself better. I do not expect anything different from Jarvis than what we get from him every week.”