"Derek Anderson has apologized for saying Browns fans "are ruthless and don't deserve a winner."

After angry reaction from fans poured into The Plain Dealer, cleveland.com and other media outlets, Anderson issued the following statement early Wednesday morning through Amy Palcic, the former Browns public relations director.

Anderson's statement:

"I said some things to Jeff Schudel (of The News-Herald) earlier that I regret. Those of you who got to know me personally from covering the Browns over the past five years, know this was out of character for me. I wasn't taken out of context, but I was speaking out of my frustration after my career with the Browns came to a close.

"I had some great times playing in Cleveland, especially during the 2007 season and I met some great people and made many lifelong friends along the way. I'm looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life.""