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The Cleveland Browns will be without wide receiver Rashard Higgins for the near future.
The third-year player, who caught the Browns lone touchdown in Sunday’s win against the Baltimore Ravens, suffered a sprained MCL in the fourth quarter that will not require surgery, but will keep him out for an undetermined amount of time, according to the team’s website.
Higgins has been one of the team’s early season surprises, as he is third in receptions (16) and second in receiving yards (244).
They really rolled out the red carpet for Hollywood after his TD ✨ pic.twitter.com/0hYKdlxLCa
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 8, 2018
In Higgins’ absence on Sunday, rookie Derrick Willies made the most of the opportunity, catching three passes for 61 yards, including a 39-yard catch-and-run on Cleveland’s game-winning drive in overtime.
Even before the injury to Higgins, the Browns were looking at wide receivers as the team is reportedly hosting free agent Rishard Matthews today for a workout. But Willies’ production, combined with the expectation that Higgins will be back sooner rather than later, could lead to the Browns keeping the status quo at the position, head coach Hue Jackson said via the team’s website:
“We have some good candidates here. We’ll see how that unfolds as we go through the day … I feel like these guys know our system, know exactly what we’re looking for and practice the way we do.”
That sounds good on paper, and the Browns have other options in the passing game outside of the wide receivers, but it remains to be seen if the team wants to roll for the next few weeks with what they currently have on the roster at the position.