"In the second week of a three- to six-week injury, tight end Kellen Winslow might have played his last game for the Browns this season.

The bigger question is whether his days in Cleveland are done.

''I do want to be back here. I love being here. I love playing here,'' Winslow said Thursday. ''The fans have stuck by me.''

Whether that feeling is genuine or merely an attempt to avoid controversy, Winslow's future might be determined by what owner Randy Lerner decides to do with General Manager Phil Savage. The Browns are 4-9 going into the game Monday night against the Eagles in Philadelphia, and the status of Savage and coach Romeo Crennel will be decided after the season.

The sixth overall pick in 2004, Winslow had a public falling out with Savage over the second staph infection of his career, which prompted Winslow's comment that Savage treated him ''like a piece of meat'' by failing to visit him in the hospital. That remark drew a one-game suspension for the Oct. 26 game at Jacksonville that was later rescinded to a $25,000 fine and sent the Browns into a week of turmoil.

Asked if his staying in Cleveland depends on whether Lerner retains Savage, Winslow said, ''No. Mr. Lerner and I have a very good relationship. I'm very happy with him.'' Lerner pointed that out last month when discussing the uproar over Winslow's infection, saying, ''He and I have had a good working relationship over time.''

When pressed on his future being linked to Savage's, Winslow added, ''I'm not going to say. I don't know.''

Going into this season, Winslow was unhappy with his current contract, which runs through 2010 and will pay him $4.5 million and $4.75 million its final two years. He asked for an extension while in Hawaii for his first Pro Bowl. Most expect his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to ask for a trade in 2009.

Asked if he's confident his contract issues will be worked out, Winslow said, ''I hired Drew Rosenhaus for that. That's his job. I might just want to go and reach free agency.'' He laughed and said, ''Who knows?''"