The Sports Xchange

The Cleveland Browns aren’t bowing to any presssure to give up on idled wide receiver Dwayne Bowe.

Coach Mike Pettine remains committed to Bowe, who has been on the field for only eight snaps in the first three games of the season because of a hamstring injury.

“It’s a long season,” Pettine said, according to the The Plain Dealer. “It hasn’t started out the way that we’ve all — including Dwayne — wanted it to, but we’re confident that we’ll get him contributing here sooner than later.”

The Browns signed the 31-year-old Bowe to a two-year, $12.5 million contract in March that includes $9 million in guaranteed money. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs for eight years before leaving to come to Cleveland.

“Dwayne will help us, but he’s just not there yet,” Pettine said. “The setback that he suffered during training camp, it’s just hard to make those reps up. Now that we’re in a practice week, we’re hopeful we’ll get him out there and he’ll contribute as we expect him to do.”

Bowe was inactive for the Browns’ opener against the New York Jets and again last week in their 27-20 loss to the Oakland Raiders. He is still not able to run full speed in practice.

“He’s going to play,” Pettine said. “It’s a long year.”