CLEVELAND — One week after being sent home from practice and being made inactive for the team's regular-season finale following comments he made regarding the team's use of teammate Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is saying he's sorry.
In a statement released to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Clowney apologized specifically to Garrett for the comments, which he made to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot. The No. 1 pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, Clowney said that he believed that the Browns schemed to give Garrett a statistical advantage, stating: "You’re all trying to get somebody into the Hall of Fame when all that matters is winning."
While the 3-time Pro Bowl selection said that he didn't have an issue with Garrett, personally, he also said that it was 95 percent likely that he wouldn't be re-signing with Cleveland in the upcoming offseason. Those odds seem even slimmer now, after the Browns excused Clowney from last Friday's practice and opted to leave him home for their Week 18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"As a son and a parent I want to fully apologize to anyone I offended, specifically Myles Garrett and his family," Clowney's apology reads. "My words in the lockerroom were not only taken out of context, but completely misrepresented. As a man I have reached out to Myles specifically to apologize. I will continue to learn and grow as I move forward."
As for Garrett, the 2-time All-Pro said that while he didn't take them personally, he admitted to them catching him off-guard. Asked about Clowney's comments -- in which he also admitted to choosing to only play on third downs during a win over the Baltimore Ravens because he was unhappy with his role -- Browns general manager Andrew Berry said that he was "obviously disappointed in terms of everything surrounding that situation."