The team cut ties with the veteran wide receiver on Monday, terminating his contract after three seasons and leaving the Browns without one of their most respected players. Hawkins, who signed with Cleveland as a free agent in 2014 after three years with Cincinnati, released a video in which he thanked Cleveland’s fans and owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, and wished his teammates well.

His Browns teammate, wide receiver Andrew Hawkins , tried to explain on Tuesday why everyone hates on the soon-to-be wealthy quarterback convert. “He’s a polarizing — he’s a quarterback,” Hawkins said on Good Morning Football.