HEADLINE

Kitchens: Browns won’t shut down WR Beckham

Field Level Media

December 09, 2019 at 11:12 pm.

Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens on Monday addressed the hot topic of injuries to Odell Beckham Jr., making it known that the star wide receiver won’t be shut down.

Beckham has been dealing with hip and groin injuries since training camp began, but Kitchen wants Beckham to keep playing. The coach didn’t sound like he appreciated that quarterback Baker Mayfield made critical comments about the situation after Sunday’s 27-19 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

“(Mayfield) understands that we don’t want him addressing other players’ injuries in that manner, especially,” Kitchens said Monday.

“Odell and our training staff have done a tremendous job of getting Odell to the game each and every week up to this point. For that, they’ve done a good job. I understand everybody wants to ask a bunch of questions about it. But that’s really the only info that I have without going into detail what Baker and I discussed, but it’s been addressed and he understands how to handle things like that moving forward.”

Beckham continues to struggle, though, managing only two catches for 39 yards on Sunday, the fourth time in 13 games this season he has been held under 50 receiving yards. Still, Kitchens likes what his ailing player been able to do.

“I think he’s helping the team. Odell’s doing a great job,” Kitchens said. “He wants to be out there for his teammates and I like him to be out there for his teammates. And he’s been doing a good job of getting prepared during the course of the week to get to the game on Sunday.”

Mayfield said Sunday that Beckham’s lingering hip/groin injury “wasn’t handled right” after it first surfaced in training camp.

Mayfield later addressed his comments on Twitter, saying that his “intentions were not to throw our medical staff under the bus.”

“No, I don’t know all the facts about Odell’s injury,” Mayfield added. “It was emotionally answered because I can sense his frustration and I care about my team and putting us in the best position to win.

“Those people within our building know my intentions and where I am coming from. I truly believe that and I apologize to those that don’t deserve the backlash … today was a good team win. On to the next one.”

On the injury report all season, Beckham has dealt with a hip issue designated from Weeks 1-6, then a groin issue listed in every week since the team’s Week 7 bye.

Beckham has mostly practiced in full and has not missed a game this season for the 6-7 Browns, catching 59 passes for 844 yards and two touchdowns.

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