Rashard Higgins was pretty clear even before free agency began that he wanted to be back with the Browns.
“Tell [G.M.] Andrew [Berry] to send the papers and I’m signing wherever I gotta sign,” Higgins said during an interview with 850 ESPN Cleveland in February.
That’s come to fruition, as the wide receiver is back on a one-year deal — the second straight offseason he’s returned on such a contract.
On Friday, Higgins told reporters there were “a lot of teams hitting on me,” but he ultimately decided to stick with the team that selected him in the fifth round of the 2016 draft.
“I definitely had other offers on the table, but this was one that was a no-brainer,” Higgins said, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Higgins has a strong relationship with Baker Mayfield and consulted with the Browns’ QB during his free agency process.
“I was telling him, ‘What you think about this?’ And honestly, he was telling me to weigh my options,” Higgins said. “Honestly, he wants me to be a Brown, but if I’ve got to do something on 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.”
Higgins caught 37 passes for a career-high 599 yards for Cleveland in 2020, appearing in 13 games with six starts. In all, he’s recorded 113 receptions for 1,615 yards with 11 TDs in five seasons.