Cleveland Browns' Rashard Higgins and Jedrick Wills are cited for drag racing ahead of the club's first playoff game since 2002 and could face up to six months in prison if convicted

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Rashard Higgins and rookie left tackle Jedrick Wills have been cited for drag racing by police in Westlake, Ohio just days before the team's first playoff game since 2002 - but the pair appears to have avoided a marijuana charge. 

The players were stopped Tuesday morning in the Cleveland suburb about 10 miles from the team's headquarters, according to an incident report and court records provided to DailyMail.com. 

During the traffic stop, police discovered a joint on Higgins. Later, the officer said marijuana could be 'bad for press' and told Higgins to stomp on it and kick it into the sewer.   

'You guys are celebrities around here, so you don't want that hitting the news,' the officer said.  

A Westlake police spokesman told the Daily Mail that the marijuana misdemeanor was insignificant compared to the drag racing, and since it was a negligible amount and no other contraband was found, the officers decided to ignore it.  

An attorney for Higgins and Wills said the two will plead not guilty to the drag racing, which is a level-1 misdemeanor that is punishable by up to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine. 

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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Rashard Higgins is searched during a recent traffic stop. He has been cited for drag racing, but avoided a marijuana misdemeanor charge on Tuesday 

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Rashard Higgins and rookie left tackle Jedrick Wills have been cited for drag racing by police in Westlake, Ohio just says before the team's first playoff game since 2002 - but the pair appears to have avoided a marijuana charge

The exchange between the officers and players was polite, and at one point, Wills admitted that he and Higgins were 'just being d***heads'

During the traffic stop, police discovered a joint on Higgins, who claimed he smoked the day before. Later, the officer said marijuana could be 'bad for press' and told Higgins to stomp on it and kick it into the sewer

Higgins, following instructions from police, steps on the unlit joint and kicks it into the sewer

'On 1/05/21 a traffic stop was made on two vehicles on Crocker north from Center Ridge Rd,' read a police report provided to DailyMail.com. 'The two vehicles took off together side by side at a fast rate heading North on Crocker and were racing each other. The two operators were cited for Drag Racing. 

'The one operator had his vehicle searched from PC based on the smell of marijuana. A suspected marijuana joint was located on him. That item was destroyed and the subject was given a warning. They were released from the scene.'

The exchange between the officers and players was polite, and at one point, Wills admitted that he and Higgins were 'just being d***heads.'  

A team spokesman said the Browns are aware of the incident, 'gathering more information and will handle appropriately.' 

Wills, who was the No. 10 overall pick in this year's draft, said on Twitter that people were 'Blowing it way out of proportion.' 

Higgins is in his fifth season with Cleveland. He had two catches for 55 yards in Sunday's win over the Steelers, whom the Browns will play on Sunday in Pittsburgh. 

Meanwhile the Browns are still reeling from coach Kevin Stefanski's positive COVID-19 test, which will force him to miss Sunday's game. Two players have also tested positive as well. 

Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer is expected to fill in for Stenfaksi when the team plays the rival Steelers in Pittsburgh on Sunday night. Tight ends coach Drew Petzing and defensive backs coach Jeff Howard also tested positive. 

The exchange between the officers and players was polite, and at one point, Wills (whose car is pictured here) admitted that he and Higgins were 'just being d***heads'

Wills, who was the No. 10 overall pick in this year's draft, said on Twitter that people were 'Blowing it way out of proportion'

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero is reporting that the two infected players are Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio and wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge.

Currently the Browns practice facility is closed while the team conducts contact tracing. Per NFL rules, anyone who tests positive must sit out no fewer than 10 days, meaning that Stefanski can only return this season if Cleveland beats Pittsburgh on Sunday.   

The NFL currently has no plans to postpone Sunday's game, according to NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy.

'There's no change to the status of the game,' McCarthy told DailyMail.com in an email. 'We are continuing to conduct standard contact tracing to identify any possible high-risk close contacts. 

'If any players or personnel are identified as such, they would remain apart from the team and facilities for five days from the last exposure to a positive individual. They would be eligible to return to the team and play in the game.' 

The league has not postponed games for competitive reasons amid the pandemic. Rather, games have been postponed -- in some cases several times -- when it was thought that an internal team outbreak could be transmitted on the field of play.  

According to the police report, the two vehicles were seen drag racing each other in Westlake