BEREA, Ohio -- Peyton Hillis wanted to retire with the Browns. Now, he's wondering and worrying if he has a future in Cleveland beyond the next 12 games.

Hillis, whose stalled negotiations with the team on a contract extension have spawned weeks of analysis, conjecture and rumor, said Monday he has no regrets about sitting out the Sept. 25 game against Miami with strep throat, a decision -- reached with the advice of his agent -- that fueled reports he missed the game to protest not getting a new deal.

Hillis is in the final year of his rookie deal and will make a base salary of $600,000 this season. As for next season, he's beginning to doubt he'll be around.

"Whenever something's not set in stone, then I guess anything is possible, which means your career's not here," he said. "So, yeah, that definitely worries me."

The Browns returned from their bye week with the Hillis matter remaining a hot topic. Following the team's first practice since last Wednesday, Hillis stood in the middle of Cleveland's locker room with his arms folded across his chest for more than 10 minutes answering questions about his contract.

Hillis could have ended the controversy.

Instead, it lingers.

Last week, agent Kennard McGuire told The Associated Press that he cautioned his client not to play against the Dolphins for fear Hillis had been weakened by the illness and could have jeopardized his career by playing and getting hurt. Hillis said he considered McGuire's guidance before deciding it was best to sit out.

"It was his recommendation, but it was ultimately my choice in the end," Hillis said. "We both knew how sick I was and how bad it could be for the team and for myself if I had tried to play, so it wasn't just my agent's decision. It was mine also and he was just looking out for me."

Hillis said without McGuire's counsel he might have tried to play.

"I am stubborn and I am hardheaded," he said. "By the way I was feeling, I just needed somebody else's opinion."

Sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter at the time that a handful of Hillis' teammates believed the running back's contract situation entered into his decision to sit out the Browns' victory over the Dolphins.

McGuire told ESPN's Schefter that whispers his client missed the game over his contract "couldn't be further from the truth."

Hillis said he was not disturbed by the report and that he and McGuire decided to keep the story fresh in the media because he wants to remain a Brown.