Jarvis Landry says he told Browns he'd like to stay after playing more hurt than he let on

Jarvis Landry revealed Tuesday morning he has told the Browns he wants to return to the team next season, but he's ready to help another NFL franchise win a championship if coming back to Cleveland isn't in the cards.

With one season left on his contract, Landry is considered a candidate to be released in a cost-saving move.

The five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver is scheduled to make $15.1 million in salary and bonuses while carrying a salary-cap hit of $16.38 million in 2022, according to OverTheCap.com. Cutting him would cost the Browns just $1.5 million in dead cap.

"I have put the ball in CLE court by telling them I would like to stay but if not then I’m confident enough in myself to be a better healthy me this year and moving forward to helping do my part in winning a championship elsewhere," Landry wrote in a series of tweets.

The Browns have yet to ask Landry to restructure his contract, a league source told the Beacon Journal.

Browns General Manager Andrew Berry and Landry's representatives are scheduled to meet next week during the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, a league source said.

Asked about Landry's future on Jan. 11, Berry offered what sounded like a goodbye.

"I think everybody on this call knows how much respect that we have for Jarvis Landry and really what he’s meant for our team and organization over the past several years," Berry said. "He’s been a productive player for us since the day that we traded for him and he’s been really a key piece in how the team and organization have evolved over the last several years."

Landry is coming off an injury plagued season.

He said on Twitter he didn't just suffer a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee in Week 2 during a 31-21 win over the Houston Texans on Sept. 19. He explained there were other injuries.

"Reality behind all this is I came back to play in the best shape of my life, I got hurt week 2 with a high grade MCL Sprain, Partial quad tear and bone bruise," Landry tweeted. "Then came back way to early and ended up staying hurt the entire season. You never heard me mention anything about it.

"Before this year I missed 0 games. So push y’all narrative, it’s noted. ... I GAVE EVERYTHING!!!! EVERYTHING."

In the same game against the Texans, Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield suffered a completely torn labrum in his left, non-throwing shoulder. The setback and other injuries contributed to Mayfield struggling mightily last year. He underwent surgery on Jan. 19.

Last season, Landry missed games due to an injury for the first time in his career and had career lows in catches (52 on 87 targets), receiving yards (570) and receiving touchdowns (two) to go along with six carries for 40 yards (6.7 average) and two TDs. He appeared in 12 of 17 games, missing four with the sprained MCL and one with COVID-19.

Landry, who will turn 30 in November, has been a team leader since former Browns GM John Dorsey acquired him in 2018 via a trade with the Miami Dolphins, who drafted Landry in the second round out of Louisiana State University in 2014.

Despite Landry's status as a face of the franchise — he was the Browns 2019 Walter Payton Man of the Year — his weekly news conferences came to an abrupt end last season.

After close friend and fellow receiver Odell Beckham Jr. forced his way out of Cleveland in early November, Landry did not speak to media in a team setting. His only interview the rest of the season took place Nov. 16, when he hosted the second annual Jarvis Landry Thanksgiving food drive at Parma Senior High School.

In the buildup to Beckham winning Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams on Feb. 13, Landry surprised OBJ by crashing a virtual news conference, offering support and urging his former LSU teammate to “go get that ring.”

"My media availability didn’t happen because I was focused on getting on the field as healthy as possible during the week and after games," Landry tweeted.

Since entering the NFL eight years ago, Landry has started 113 of the 123 regular-season games in which he's appeared and caught 688 passes on 1,045 targets for 7,598 yards and 37 touchdowns.

With the Browns, Landry has started 56 of his 59 regular-season games and grabbed 288 passes on 475 targets for 3,560 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Here are the tweets Landry sent Tuesday morning:

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns' Jarvis Landry says he told team he wants to stay in Cleveland