Browns WR Jarvis Landry Soaks In Fourth Consecutive Pro Bowl

ORLANDO, FL – Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry was all smiles at the ESPN Wide World of Sports this week as he is soaking in his fourth consecutive experience as an NFL Pro Bowler.

Before practice Landry could be seen sharing laughs with fellow receivers Tyreek Hill of the Kansas City Chiefs and Keenan Allen of the Los Angeles Chargers. He was also taking passing tips from Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram who surprisingly made a claim that he could once throw a football 100 yards.

“It’s an honor to be around these guys and players that I respect so much,” explained Landry, who still resides in Florida. “This is my fourth time going, but my first being able to wear the orange helmet and represent the Cleveland Browns so this is very special for me.”

This season Landry set the NFL record for most receptions in the first five years for a player and has tallied an astonishing 481 receptions over that stretch. To put that number into perspective, Jerry Rice, the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions had 346 in his first five seasons.

In his first year with the Browns, Landry tallied 81 receptions for 976 yards and four touchdowns. He added a 63-yard pass on a trick play and three rushes for 60 yards and a touchdown.

After an 0-16 season in 2017, the Browns bounced back with a 7-8-1 record this year. At times this year they looked the part of a playoff contender. Much of that success this season can be attributed to the Browns bolstering their team with a strong offseason that saw the team add Landry via free agency. The Browns also drafted their quarterback of the future in Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick and he certainly looks to play the part of resurrecting the Cleveland franchise.

“We learned things from each other – there still aspects of the game that I’m learning inside of this game that he sees,” Landry said of his relationship Mayfield. “That kind of transparency between the both of us helps us out. The better we can be for our offense, the better it will be for the team.”

Earlier this month, the Browns named Freddie Kitchens as their head coach. He wa promoted from running backs/associate head coach to offensive coordinator midseason and has been a coach in the NFL over the past 13 seasons. Cleveland finished their rebound season with a 5-3 record after Kitchens assumed the role of offensive coordinator after the firing of Hue Jackson and the playbook opened up with more trick plays. Many of which Landry was a part of.

“It’s great – all of the things that he implemented and brought to the offense when he stepped in last season,” Landry said of Kitchens’ hiring. “Now he gets to overlook the entire team so it’ll be exciting to see the changes and new perspectives he brings.”

The trajectory of the Browns franchise is on its way up and optimism for the team is as high as its been in the last decade. Look for Cleveland to build on their success this season and compete for an AFC North title in 2019.

Editor's Note: All photos used in this story were taken by Sean Conklin