On the good news being that he doesn't need surgery on his fractured clavicle:
"Yeah, as of right now, keep monitoring it, but it seems like that's the good news."
On expected timeframe to heal:
"It seems like six weeks. Usually, that's the case with these. Everybody's different, obviously, and we'll monitor it every few weeks to make sure it's on schedule, but sounds like that's the plan."
On it being disappointing to end his season this way:
"Yeah, obviously, I'm just disappointed with everything just being what it is. You have a set of goals that you plan on for the season and want to get accomplished. When you fall short of those, obviously, it's disappointing. This adds to it, for sure."
On assessing how he played, given he missed multiple gamed due to injuries:
"It's hard. I think over the next few weeks as far as helping these guys and then taking some time to look back at some of those games and then in the offseason look back at those games and really have a better way of assessing it. When you're sitting here at 2-9, I'd always just say if that's the record of your team, then I think everybody can look at it and go, 'You know what? We have to play better.' That's my first assessment looking at it. I'm pleased with some things that I did, but at the end of the day, you always feel like you can do better."
On how physically drained he is from injuries this season:
"I don't know. Obviously, I have not finished a year with this type of injury this late in the season so that's a first. I've said it before: it's part of it. I'm no different. There are guys in here that are banged up that just fortunately haven't broken a bone. At this point in the year, everybody is banged up. It's just part of the game."
On if he is disappointed he has missed so much time due to injury:
"Just a little bit of that. For me, it's just all part of it. It's part of this game. You just have to work through it the best you can. It's disappointing. From obviously going all the way back to Week 1 and leaving that game that early after the way we opened up, you just wonder what it would have been like if you could play every snap. That's the frustrating thing, but again, it's a part of this game and you adjust and move on."
On if he knows Cowboys QB Tony Romo:
"Little bit, yeah. We're about the same age and came in the league around the same time. I know him a little bit. I know he's obviously going through the same thing."
On if he has spoken to Romo about the injuries:
"No, but I can certainly empathize with him now, for sure."
On physical pain from his injury when it happened:
"It hurt pretty bad. I just didn't know so I said let me just try to throw. When I threw and I felt like I could get through a throwing motion and all that, talking with (head athletic trainer) Joe (Sheehan) and them, I felt like 'OK, let's give it a go.' Especially going back to the last question of just having left the field a few times this year, I didn't want to leave again. To me, it was like just I want to give every shot every opportunity I could until I just completely couldn't do it. Made the first throw and felt a little something, made that second throw and felt a little something more then and knew at that point as much as I wanted to be out there, it's probably not fair to everybody else because I don't know if I could push the ball down the field the way I need to and all those things. I just thought it was best to come out."
On if the injury impacts his decision to continue to play and stay in Cleveland beyond this season:
"I'm on a contract so I'm here. I think you set goals as a player, as a member of a team and as an organization. You set out to accomplish those goals, and if you don't hit it in that year, then whenever that time comes, we still have five games to play and we can finish well but at the same time as a plyer when your season ends like mine has, your focus just becomes what can I do to help us be better next year. Until I'm told otherwise, I'll do everything I can to serve the guys and help this team and this organization be better moving forward and that starts with the next five weeks and on into the offseason."
On if there is any indication the Browns will terminate his contract:
"You can get cut (laughter). That's what we call it. Obviously, but I don't control that. Like I said, I'll be here and my expectation will be to be here and we'll work accordingly and if that changes then that changes. I think being here and being a part of this city and organization and understanding how bad people want to get this thing turned around and get it running in the right direction, I definitely would love to be a part of that to see that turn because just having experienced it now and appreciating how much the fans love our team and want to see us do well."
On what makes him believe the Browns can improve their 2-9 record:
"The opposite would be just to pack up and go home. I'm not going to come to work and go, 'We can't turn it around. Let's just keep running our head into a wall.' Anytime you have a job, you're going to go to work and put your best foot forward. You believe you can turn it around. You believe you can be a part of that solution. I believe we have guys in this locker room that can do that and you see things like we saw the other night. That game didn't go our way, and obviously, you can point to some negative things and highlight those and say, 'It can't turn around.' For us, though, I choose to point to the positive things and say these are reasons why it can. That's just my approach when I come to work. I don't think anybody, if we didn't think it could, would want to be here. As competitors, we're all in this thing because we believe we can be part of the reason why it turned."
On if he was playing at the highest level of his career, aside from injuries:
"I felt good. I felt good, especially coming off the situation we went through last year and everything. Just to be back in a system again and with veteran NFL coaches that have been around the league, yeah, it certainly helped considering last year. I don't know statistically or whatever, but I felt like I did in 2013 with the Bears as far as the rhythm and the timing of things and the plan and all that stuff. I'm encouraged by some of the things we did and certainly just encouraged by the opportunity to get back out and function in this type of offense. You always walk away thinking you can be even better. I feel I can turn that up a notch, too, and that's what the offseason for."
On if he wants to coach football when he is finished playing:
"Are you insinuating something (laughter)? I don't know. I don't even know what I'm doing for dinner tonight. That's so far in the future. I'll say this: a few years ago when I was coaching high school ball, I really enjoyed that, gained a huge sense of fulfilment and joy from working with those kids so we'll see what the future holds. Certainly, I know that my journey has allowed me to be exposed to a lot of football, a lot of different ways to do it. If that's one of the things one of these days, then I'll look into that, but right now, I'm just focused on getting healthy and continuing to play."
On his scouting report on QB Austin Davis:
"I don't know if I want to give a full scouting report on him because we play somebody this weekend and he has to play. I've been impressed with Austin since he's been here as far as just he loves the game. He's a football junkie. He's always watching tape and studying and studying and asking questions all the time. Anytime you have those kinds of qualities and you love it, especially at our position you have to, I think you give yourself a chance, especially the circumstances that he came in. We're kind of in full tilt so he's having to learn on the fly, and it's hard for (quarterbacks coach) Kevin (O'Connell) or anybody to really stop and break things down because we're in the middle of game planning and all that stuff. He's done a good job of assimilating and getting up to speed. Really proud of him the other night how he came in that game and got us in positon, did some really good things. I think it speaks to his preparation and who he is. I'm excited about seeing him play Sunday. I know this – he'll be prepared. He'll understand the game plan in and out. He obviously showed some poise the other night coming in off the bench on Monday Night Football and all those things considered. I'm excited about watching him play, and I think he's got a bright future just from the limited time I've been around him. I think he's one of those guys you can see sticking around for a long time."
On if the hit where he injured his collar bone was excessive:
"I don't know. It is what it is. I think those guys were flying around playing physical and that's part of it. I don't know the intent, but I would say this just understanding, watching the Ravens and those teams over the years, it's a physical football team that plays hard."
On if he played with broken ribs this season:
"Yeah, there were probably a few games there."
On if he injured his ribs during the St. Louis game:
"It happened somewhere along the way. It's just part of it. Just go through it. It's a part of this game. Like I said, I'm not the only guy in here that's fighting through stuff and fought through stuff. We put a lot into this and everybody does. The hardest thing for me to deal with in this situation is you just want to be available for your teammates and be there for your guys so when you can't be it hurts. It hurt more than any of the physical pain. That's what's more frustrating than anything."
On how many ribs were broken:
"Somebody said a couple. A couple would be fair."
On his reaction to the end of the Monday night game:
"Like everybody else, just broken hearted. My jaw was on the floor. You think you're going to end up in overtime and feel pretty good about our chances. Shoot, the last two times I played those guys, it's been overtime games, and I thought, 'Here we go. We're going to get a third overtime game. We're going to beat these guys.' For it to end like that, it was a crazy ending. It's just unfortunate because like I said, the efforts out there, Austin coming in and doing what he did, (LB) Karlos' (Dansby) interception and touchdown, just hate that you don't finish the game reflective of some of the overall effort. That's part of taking another step, though. A part of becoming a good football team is doing that. As we continue through these next five weeks and on end, that's what we have to do better. If you go out and prepare hard and you work hard in these five weeks when essentially you're not playing for playoffs or anything like that, that's the kind of resolve that you build that you eventually win those tough games because of the resolve you build when you're 2-9 and you go out to work and you practice hard. I think it's critical for us these next five weeks to do that."
