Hillis’ agent told RB to sit out game

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Fearing Peyton Hillis was weakened from strep throat and could risk injury, his agent advised the Browns’ bruising back not to play on Sept. 25 against Miami.

Hillis left Browns Stadium about two hours before kickoff, a decision that has led to speculation he was upset over ongoing negotiations with the club on a contract extension.

However, agent Kennard McGuire told The Associated Press that Hillis was too sick to play, and that he could have jeopardized his career if he played at less than 100 percent.

“I would give him the same advice to him or any of my clients as if he were my son,” McGuire said in a phone interview. “The game is physical enough, and the way Peyton plays the game, he needs all the elements of his physical game. Him being sick, and the level of his sickness, is the equivalent of being injured.

“Not only could he have hurt himself but he could have hurt his team. Nobody embodies Cleveland like Peyton Hillis. If anyone wants to point a finger, point it at me.”

In the aftermath of Hillis’ decision not to play, suspicions have been raised about the 25-year-old’s motives and some have questioned if he sat out in protest.

On Sunday, citing unidentified sources, ESPN reported that some players in Cleveland’s locker room wondered if Hillis’ contract situation was a factor in him deciding not to play.

McGuire, like coach Pat Shurmur, was disturbed that if there were teammates who felt that way, they should have had the “courage” to speak out publicly.

McGuire said Hillis, who rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first season with Cleveland, has been affected by contract talks with the club.

“He’s human, of course it’s on his mind,” said McGuire, adding he has been in “constant contact” with the Browns. “Would it affect him being a pro? No. Does he feel underappreciated? Yes. He’s human. We all in life have a perceived value of our worth now, and he doesn’t take for granted what he’s earning now.

“But we do believe that he’s deserving of something that mirrors his production of last year.”

Last season, Hillis caught 61 passes and became the first player in team history to rush for more than 1,000 yards, make 50 catches and score 10 TDs in the same season.