Jedrick Wills Business Decision Comment Is Exactly What He Meant
Some fires can't be put out, no matter how much effort goes into it. Kevin Stefanski found that out today, when he tried to put out the fire his left tackle started on Monday. Wills sat out the game against the Baltimore Ravens with a hyperextended knee. It's the same knee that Wills had surgery on in 2023. When he was asked why he didn't play, Wills said, "It was a business decision."
Addressing Wills business decision comment today, Stefanski called Wills statement a poor choice of words. "It was a poor choice of words," he said. "I know the connotation of 'business decision'. That's not how he meant it. He did not feel like he was near 100% to help us. But a poor choice of words and he understands it."
Stefanski knows he didn't tell the truth to the media. He knows as well as everyone else, it's exactly what Jedrick Wills meant. The 2020 tenth overall pick in the draft is in the last year of his rookie contract. He has started 57 games for the Cleveland Browns, and is set to become a free agent, which would be an $11.8 million cap hit to the team.
Wills also told the media that his head coach benched him for the comments. Dawand Jones started at left tackle against the Ravens, and according to Wills, Stefanski told him Jones would be the starter going forward. Stefanski denied that Wills was benched for refusing to play, and said his comments Monday would not affect his playing time in the future.
The Celeveland Browns have been a mess all season. This could be the season that Stefanski is the head coach, and if that's the case, perhaps Wills will re-sign with the team. There's clearly a disconnect between the two, and the coach seems destined to spend the rest of the season lying, in order to cover up the truth his player is speaking.