Last year, Browns running back Peyton Hillis was one of the best stories in the NFL, bursting onto the scene with 1,654 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns. This year, Hillis has been one of the worst stories in the NFL, both because his production has declined and because most of the stories about Hillis have focused on his injuries and his contract, and not his play.
But Hillis says that’s all over with, and for the rest of the season he’s putting all his focus on the field.
“I’d really like to not talk about a contract the rest of the year,” Hillis told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I think there’s no sense in it. It’s in the past. I gotta play. That’s the bottom line. You just take this approach and move forward. I’m not going to be a distraction. I’m gonna help this team win as much as I possibly can and do what I can.”
Hillis, who has missed one game with an illness and another with a hamstring injury, is on pace to finish this season with just 563 rushing yards, 203 receiving yards and five touchdowns. But he’s expecting to return on Sunday.
“The Lord works in mysterious ways, puts you through humbling experiences,” Hillis said. “You work your way through them. That’s what being a man is. There’s a lot of time [in this season]. It’s all about me getting healthy and going out there and producing. I put that on myself.”