A former Chiefs running back has some regrets about coming to Kansas City as a free agent and leaving his former team. Peyton Hillis revealed in an interview with Cleveland radio station 92.3 WKRK, that he wished he would have retired with the Browns.
Hillis was drafted from the University of Arkansas by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. After two seasons in Denver, he’d be traded to the Cleveland Browns along with some draft picks for QB Brady Quinn. During his first season with the Browns, Hillis established himself as a workhorse RB with 270 attempts for 1,177 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. It was a breakout season for Hillis, where he ranked inside the top 10 in several NFL rushing categories. He’d go on to be the cover athlete for “Madden NFL 12.”
“I grew a lot from the experiences that I had,” Hillis told. “Of course, I wish I would’ve made some different decisions in my career because I think it would have led to different outcomes. But overall I believe that I had a great career, especially with how everything started out. . .”
In 2011, Hillis dealt with some injuries and many believed he was suffering from the fabled “Madden Curse.” As he approached free agency, rumors ran rampant surrounding contract talks. While Hillis had the desire to stay in Cleveland, the team never made him an official offer which allowed him to go to Kansas City.
“Looking back at it — I felt so terrible because I really did feel like the fans had a misrepresentation of what was really going on,” Hillis explained. “I didn’t know how news was getting or how things were being said, but it wasn’t nothing like what they said it was. They would say they were offering me contracts that they weren’t and that I was denying them. They didn’t even ask me about any contracts because that was the lockout year. You couldn’t even negotiate contracts for the longest period of time. . . It was one of those situations where I think I knew I wanted to be in Cleveland. And so they’d tell me one thing and tell the news a different thing. It was just confusing and I don’t really know where it all went bad. . .”
Still, Hillis has his regrets about not finding a way to stay with the Browns. He joined the Chiefs in March of 2012 but would play second fiddle to Jamaal Charles instead of being the lead back in Kansas City. 2012 just so happened to be one of the worst seasons in franchise history. A 2-14 record, a player committing suicide at the team facility, banners flying over Arrowhead Stadium. It all ultimately led to changes that brought Andy Reid to the Chiefs. Like football in Kansas City, Hillis’ career also hit a low point.
“Honestly, I wish I would’ve retired in Cleveland,” Hillis revealed. “I wish that I could’ve played there for 10 more years. Even my wife said we loved our time in Cleveland more than we loved anywhere else, even in Arkansas. We just enjoyed Cleveland and every time we go back, we try to find an excuse to go back to Cleveland all the time even to this day. There’s a lot of things that I wish I would’ve done differently, not just for me but for the fans also. I was young and stupid, what can I say?”
Hillis would go on to play for the New York Giants for two years after his season in Kansas City. He’d deal with a number of head injuries that would force his career to an early close in 2015.
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