Cleveland Browns release former Florida WR Antonio Callaway

Former Florida wide receiver Antonio Callaway is officially done with the Cleveland Browns, as the team has waived him according to multiple reports.

The 2018 fourth-round pick was reportedly late for Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills after he was benched for the matchup. His lateness was supposedly because of a parking lot issue.

The decision to release Callaway now comes just hours prior to the Browns hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers at 8 pm ET on Thursday Night Football. Rookie offensive lineman Drew Forbes has been activated off injured reserve to take Callaway’s spot on the roster.

His lateness Sunday was the final straw, but Callaway has a long football rap sheet. Callaway’s career began on the wrong foot right away when he was suspended the first four games of his career for violating the substance abuse policy. A diluted sample of an illegal substance was found in his drug test at the NFL combine.

Browns general manager John Dorsey, who drafted wide receiver Tyreek Hill in Kansas City, is known for taking risks on talent players in the middle rounds of the draft. His roll of the dice on Callaway didn’t work out.

At Florida, Callaway posted 89 catches, 1,399 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 26 games from 2015-16. The school suspended him for the 2017 season because sexual assault accusations.

Source says Antonio Callaway was late again this week – just days after showing up past the scheduled time for the Buffalo game — and the team is bracing for another potential drug-related suspension with the NFL. A second suspension would result in 10 games missed. Team fed up.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) November 14, 2019

Dave Holcomb

Dave covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.