Former Browns safety Jermaine Whitehead apologizes for racist, threatening comments: 'Totally out of character'
NFL safety Jermaine Whitehead was cut from the Cleveland Browns after using racist and threatening language towards fans following the team's 24-19 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 9.
On Tuesday, he took to Instagram to apologize for his actions.
Whitehead called his comments "totally out of character" in a lengthy caption posted less than 24 hours after he was released from the Browns' roster.
"I do not justify my actions, but was extremely frustrated with the way I had played and our team losing because of it," he said. "I was playing with a broken hand, but that is no excuse for my actions, and I am deeply regretful."
A post shared by Jermaine Whitehead (@j2whitehead) on Nov 5, 2019 at 4:56am PST
Whitehead ended his message with an "I love you!" seemingly directed toward the Cleveland Browns and their fans.
The 26-year-old was cut from Cleveland's roster after multiple tweets containing slurs and threats towards fans, beginning with a targeted message to Browns broadcaster Dustin Fox, who had critiqued Whitehead's performance during Sunday's game.
Within 15 minutes of the tweets directed at Fox and other fans being sent, Twitter suspended Whitehead's account. On Sunday evening, the Browns released a statement calling the posts "totally unacceptable and highly inappropriate."
Whitehead was cut from the team Monday morning and is now a free agent. The Browns are 2-6 on the season and next face the Buffalo Bills in Week 10.
