Myles Garrett's helmet bash was the big news piece that came out of Cleveland's Thursday Night Football victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, but prior to the game, the Browns made a major roster move. Second-year wide receiver Antonio Callaway was waived, ending his tenure with the team that included multiple off-field incidents and disappointing on-field play.
Shortly after, it was announced that Callaway, who was suspended for the first four games of this season, would miss another 10 because of another violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy. The fourth-rounder from 2018 has first-round talent, but he should be out of second chances in the NFL.
Callaway has had off-field issues dating back to his days at Florida. He was accused of sexual assault in 2016, and plead not guilty because he was “so stoned he did not want to have sex with anyone”.
Yes, that was an actual defense in a court hearing. And it worked; he was cleared of all charged by Jake Schickel, a former Florida athlete and booster to the football and basketball programs. Hmm…
That was just the beginning. In May of 2017, Callaway was cited for Marijuana possession as a passenger in a car whose driver wasn't wearing a seatbelt. He was suspended for the entire 2017 season because of his involvement in a credit card fraud scheme. Callaway also failed a drug test at the NFL Combine, which resulted in him being placed in the league's substance abuse program upon being drafted.
But general manager John Dorsey didn't care. Dorsey may preach about men of character, but he seems to conveniently ignore that line when deciding who he'll add to his teams. He drafted Tyreek Hill and Kareem Hunt in Kansas City, and brought Hunt to Cleveland. All three of those players had issues in college and they persisted upon entering the NFL. Dorsey has said in the past that he can “look into a man's eyes and see whether he has a soul”. In reality, he doesn't care about a player's character, as long as he's a good player.
The only exception is when a player (Josh Gordon) has a problem, acknowledges he has a problem, has repeatedly sought help for said problem, but still isn't able to conquer his demons. Dorsey traded Gordon for a sixth-round pick after one game in 2018, opting to keep Callaway, who is just a worse Gordon on and off the field.
Speaking of 2018, Callaway stunningly didn't become a different person after being drafted. As documented on HBO's Hard Knocks, Callaway was pulled over outside of Cleveland for driving with a suspended license. Police officers also found marijuana in the vehicle. Callaway claimed the drugs weren't his, and that they were old, since he had just had this car shipped from Florida the day before. Instead of being responsible and bringing the issue to Dorsey and head coach Hue Jackson himself, Callaway kept quiet, and the Browns brass found out at the same time as the general public what had happened. Callaway's punishment? Playing every offensive snap of the next preseason game.
Still, Callaway's talent was evident during the season. He finished with 43 catches for 586 yards and five touchdowns. There were times when his effort and precision were severely lacking, and others where he looked like a future Pro-Bowler. The flashes he showed gave the team hope for his continued development in 2019.
But when training camp started, Callaway's issues reared their ugly head once again. There were reports that he showed up to camp out of shape, and it eventually came out that Callaway had failed another drug test and would be suspended for the first four games of the season.
His first game back was on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers. With the Browns down 14-3, quarterback Baker Mayfield led his team down the field inside the five-yard line. Callaway then dropped an easy touchdown pass, but he didn't just drop it, he tipped it up into the air, where it was intercepted. That turnover led to another Niners touchdown, giving them a commanding 21-3 lead before halftime.
Callaway was unable to truly redeem himself, not making much of an impact on offense. Then, hours before Cleveland's Thursday Night showdown with Pittsburgh, Callaway was waived. Given the constant headache he'd been to the team, most Browns fans were fine with this. Then, shortly after, news broke that Callaway was facing a 10-game suspension for yet another failed drug test. He appealed the suspension but the punishment was upheld.
The Browns were right to be done with Callaway. He has the talent to become a fine player. But it's clear he doesn't have the work ethic to realize his potential, nor does he care enough about his career to put down the blunt.
Does everyone deserve a second chance? Well, no. Everyone deserves the opportunity to earn a second chance, but Callaway is far past that. At this point, he's closer to his 10th chance than his second. Some players just don't realize how incredibly fortunate they are to have the talent and the opportunity to play in the NFL, and it seems like Callaway is one of those. Based on everything that's happened during his career, he should be all out of chances in the NFL.
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