K'Waun Williams and Terrelle Pryor

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor misses a pass defended by free safety K'Waun Williams during the second day of training camp, July 30, 2016, in Berea. John Kuntz, cleveland.com

(John Kuntz)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cornerback K'Waun Williams failed his physical with the Bears Wednesday and is now asking the Browns to pay for ankle surgery, his agent told cleveland.com.

The Browns waived Williams on Monday instead of using the waived/injured designation. If he had been waived/injured, the Browns would have either placed him on injured reserve or reached an injury settlement once he cleared waivers.

The Bears were awarded Williams, but he failed his physical on Wednesday because of bone spurs in the ankle, and is now a free agent. That means he'd receive no money from the Browns to pay for his ankle surgery, which two independent doctors have told him he needs.

Williams' agent, Evan Krakower, told cleveland.com Wednesday that he's asked the Browns to pay for Williams' surgery and care, based on the fact that he was injured while was practicing with the team this spring and summer.

"We're requesting they pay for his medical treatment and hopefully they'll respond appropriately,'' said Krakower.

If the Browns refuse, this messy saga will probably get uglier. Krakower would likely then file a grievance through the NFLPA, and the conflicting reports of what happened in Green Bay on Aug. 12 would be sorted out.

The Browns contend that Williams told them he didn't want to play in the first preseason game, and that he chose to retire instead. Sources say he didn't mention the ankle injury until the next day, and that he also changed his mind the day after the game about retiring.

Krakower argues that Williams told the Browns his ankle was bothering him the day of the game and that he couldn't handle a full workload. He said he first injured it during organized team activities in the spring and aggravated it during the Orange and Brown scrimmage at Ohio State Aug. 6. He said Williams felt compelled to either play or retire in Green Bay.

After he refused to play that day, the Browns suspended Williams for two weeks and fined him a game check, which he appealed. He was set to come off the suspension Tuesday, but they waived him on Monday instead.

Since the Green Bay game, an independent foot specialist from the Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Robert Anderson in North Carolina both told him he needs ankle surgery to remove bone spurs. The failed physical in Chicago corroborated that. Now it will be up to the Browns to make the next move.

Williams is back in Cleveland, and the Bears are in town for Thursday night's preseason finale at FirstEnergy Stadium.