Jameis Winston will become the 39th quarterback to start a game for the Browns since their rebirth as an expansion team in 1999. (Cleveland Browns)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Second thoughts on Browns’ 21-14 loss to Cincinnati Bengals …
1. You can say a Browns season doesn’t truly begin until they’ve played a third quarterback. So here we are. With all three having to play in the Bengals game, we are underway in a 2024 season that figures to alter the franchise -- again. Deshaun Watson is out for the season, Kevin Stefanski confirmed, and will need surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon. Dorian Thompson-Robinson will be out indefinitely – but not for the season – with an injury to a finger on his right (throwing) hand. Which leaves Jameis Winston the starter for Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Inasmuch as Winston is the only one of the three who is a one-year rental, you can conclude this is the worst possible outcome at this position. The Browns needed to see more of Watson – to try to play himself into a quarterback more resembling his former self. And they needed to see more of DTR – to see whether he can develop into more of a factor in 2025. Alas, it will be Winston for possibly the next few games, depending on DTR’s finger. Winston owns the highest career interception percentage (3.42%; 99 INTs in 2,894 attempts) among active quarterbacks. The one thing Watson has been relatively good at this year was limiting his interceptions. He had three and two came on deflections off intended receivers’ bodies. He ranked 9th in interception percentage, which is his highest ranking in any major category this season.
2. On his Monday Zoom call, Stefanski clarified the decision to promote DTR ahead of Winston for the Bengals game. Hearing his explanation, it’s easier to conclude that DTR’s promotion was the first step in eventually replacing Watson as the starter if the offense continued to flounder (possibly after the bye week). This is what Stefanski said on his Monday Zoom call: “The decision to put Dorian as a number two was not because of a certain package of plays. We didn’t have a specific set of plays for Dorian in that game. We made him the backup quarterback so he would serve in that role if there was an injury. And obviously we were not hoping for that. That was unfortunate how that played out, but it was really, I guess to be clear, Jameis had a short-yardage package in the previous weeks where he was going in. So, he gets those reps in practice because we didn’t have that in, and I felt like Dorian had done a nice job, throughout practice, throughout really, the spring and summer, that really was the decision. It wasn’t about any sort of package for Dorian.” If he can stay healthy, the Browns will ride out this season with DTR at quarterback. But before that happens, Winston will have plenty opportunity to keep the starting job.
3. The Browns will evaluate if Thompson-Robinson needs surgery on his injured finger after he gets a second opinion. It is an option, Stefanski confirmed. “But I feel good about him being available this season. Is it this week? Is it next week? I just need more information,” the coach said. Thus, GM Andrew Berry needs to sign another quarterback to serve as Winston’s backup until DTR is ready.
4. Who might be QB4 for the Browns? Pickings are slim. One obvious option is P.J. Walker, who won a game for the Browns last year and was released by Seattle at the 53 cut. Other unsigned QBs include: Ryan Tannehill, Kellen Mond (former Brown), Nate Sudfeld and C.J. Beathard. On Monday, the Raiders poached Desmond Ridder off Arizona’s practice squad. Eighteen teams have a quarterback on their practice squad. Some familiar names include Mike White (Buffalo), Will Grier (Philadelphia), Bailey Zappe (Kansas City), Jake Fromm (Detroit) and Nathan Peterman (Atlanta). Two interesting names on practice squads: Sean Clifford (Green Bay) and Michael Pratt (Tampa Bay). Pratt was one of three quarterbacks the Browns invited to visit their headquarters prior to the 2024 draft.
5. What does Watson’s season-ending injury do to his future with the Browns. First, it makes it easier for the team to justify selecting a quarterback high in the draft. If Watson were fully healthy at the end of this season, the Browns might shy from drafting a quarterback high for fear it would create a potential QB controversy (the Joe Flacco Effect). Now, they need to identify Watson’s successor because there is even less chance – after consecutive season-ending injuries and surgeries – that he will ever regain his former game. Even though Watson’s Achilles surgery has yet to be scheduled, the Browns made a point of saying in their statement on him, “A full recovery is expected.” For his part, Stefanski voiced support for Watson in the future. “This is a tough break for him, but I know he will bounce back. He’s been a great contributor to this football team, both in the locker room, on the practice field, on the game field, and we’ll just support him as he rehabs from that injury.” He added, “I’m disappointed that it’s only ‘x’ number of games that he’s able to play this season. But I do think we know what he’s about. I know what he brings to the table for this football team.”
6. The injury virtually assures the Browns will bring Watson back in 2025. Watson is guaranteed $46 million in salaries in 2025 and 2026. Because GM Andrew Berry has converted salary to bonuses in each of Watson’s first three seasons with the Browns, the salary cap ramifications make it prohibitive to separate from Watson in 2025. He would cost $172.7 million in dead cap space if released after this year. That figure would reduce to about $99 million in 2026, which could be split over the 2026 and 2027 seasons.