There are a lot of guys in the NFL with flashy cars that they use to get to the stadium on game day. Cleveland Browns wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge is not part of that group.
Hodge rolled up to the stadium for game day in a very practical, blue hatchback, something quarterback Baker Mayfield was absolutely loving.
“I think I used to get that in the Hot Wheel pack,” Mayfield yelled. “Good mileage on that thing!”
Hodge yelled back with a big smile to Mayfield: “Line it up,” joking about wanting to race.
It’s a practical choice from Hodge, who is on a one-year, $2.1 million deal with the Browns. Hodge has joked about his vehicle choice previously on social media.
Hodge appeared in nine games last year with the Browns, catching 11 passes for 180 yards, battling a nagging hamstring injury that kept him out of a handful of games.
Hodge Steps Up Against Giants, Snags TD
The Browns and Mayfield won’t care if Hodge gets to the stadium wearing roller skates if he produces on the field. With Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry not playing against the Giants on Sunday, Hodge stepped up early with a beautiful touchdown grab on the Browns first drive of the afternoon. On fourth down quarterback Case Keenum put a ball in a perfect position and Hodge went up and snagged it to put Cleveland on the board.
Hodge is fighting for a place on the depth chart with the Browns loaded at wide receiver. Beckham and Landry hold the top two spots, with Rashard Higgins likely hanging on to the No. 3 wide receiver role. Rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones has also come on strong, while rookies Anthony Schwartz and Demetric Felton — who also lines up at RB — are also assets the Browns like. There will be some tough decisions for the Browns to make.
Browns Confident Starting Offense Will Be Ready
The Browns are not playing many of their starters in the preseason but are confident that they’ll be ready to go when Week 1 rolls around against the Chiefs.
“I think right now we are over-emphasizing communication on certain looks and adapting on the fly, and like I said, taking care of the ball and no pre-snap penalties. That is the biggest thing going in,” Mayfield told reporters this week. “Knocking the rust off of the early weeks of the regular season is do not beat yourself. That is the important part, and we are focusing on that right now.”
A lot of attention is on Beckham, who is coming back from a torn ACL. He’s practiced but hasn’t worked against a live defense, with the Browns being very cautious with his injury. Mayfield has worked extra with him on the side.
“We get routes on air. During the special teams breaks, we are getting reps pretty much every day that he is running,” Mayfield said. “We are trying to save his legs for the real thing but we are getting plenty of reps right now.”
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