Running back Peyton Hillis, who sat out the Dolphins game with strep and flu-like symptoms, dismissed a national report that some teammates believed his unresolved contract status may have been a factor in not playing according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported it Sunday, not naming any of the players.
“That’s shouldn’t even be an issue,” said Hillis after Sunday’s 31-13 loss. “That’s not an issue in my brain. I’ll go out there and I’ll play. But if I know I’m not 100 percent and I can hurt my team, I’m not going to risk myself.”
Coach Pat Shurmur said “No, Peyton was sick,” when asked in the postgame press conference. “That was my understanding.”