Rashard Higgins re-signed with the Cleveland Browns last week, hoping to improve on his steady 2020 season. Higgins revealed that he had multiple offers on the table but none were good enough to stop him from running it back with the Browns.
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After O’dell Beckham Jr. went down with an injury in Week 5, Rashard Higgins became the No. 2 wide receiver for the Browns and one of Baker Mayfield’s favourite targets. Higgins caught 37 passes for a career-high 599 yards for Cleveland in 2020, appearing in 13 games with six starts. In 2021, Rashard Higgins signed a 1 year $2.8M contract in free agency to come back to the Cleveland Browns.
Rashard Higgins is re-signing with the Browns on a one-year deal, per @RapSheet
Higgins: 73.4 PFF Grade in 2020 (46th) pic.twitter.com/0vAq5jnSr0
— PFF (@PFF) March 18, 2021
Rashard Higgins loves playing in Cleveland. #Browns
IG 🎥: yeahthatswood pic.twitter.com/9Kb10QLp72
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) March 18, 2021
Rashard Higgins said he knew where he wanted to be.
“I knew where I wanted to be,” Higgins said. “It was obviously a lot of teams hitting on me, and I had decisions, but why not be a Cleveland Brown? I feel like all the pieces to the puzzle are in place.”
He said that his relationship with Baker Mayfield off the field is very special. He said more money wasn’t worth what he has here: a quarterback who loves to throw him the ball, a team that made a historic run at the playoffs last season and a fan base that loves him.
#Browns Rashard Higgins’ 133.4 passer rating when targeted ranks 7th in the NFL among 113 WRs with qualifying targets pic.twitter.com/hkFQAhH4d5
— PFF CLE Browns (@PFF_Browns) December 9, 2020
“I was telling [Mayfield] every team that was hitting on me,” Higgins said. “I was telling him, ‘what you think about this?’ Honestly, he was telling me to weigh my options. Honestly, he wants me to be a Brown, but if I’ve got to do something on the standpoint of taking care of my family, then make the best decision for me.”
“Baker’s always going to be there for me. There’s no question about that. But at the end of the day, when I did weigh my options, it only made sense. So here I am. I’m a Cleveland Brown, and I’m looking to run this thing back.”
“I’m here because this is the best situation, this is the best position. This is where I want to be. — I got my quarterback — I’m just glad to be a Cleveland Brown.”#Browns WR Rashard Higgins on returning for another year. pic.twitter.com/zvEl6g4ZQW
— MoreForYouCleveland (@MoreForYou_CLE) March 26, 2021
#Browns Rashard Higgins appreciates the amazing fan support pic.twitter.com/F9sOw0eRm3
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 26, 2021
Rashard Higgins was on the wrong side of a 50-50 referee call that cost the Browns the game in the divisional round of the 2020 playoffs. Regardless, Rashard Higgins had a very productive season and had arguably the best celebration in the whole season last year.
He may not have gotten the money or the multi-year deal that he wished for. But he knows that not every team would “roll the red carpet” for him like the Cleveland Browns would. Rashard Higgins looks to be prepared to have another career year in 2021.