The Cleveland Browns are adding another quarterback to the roster following Deshaun Watson’s season-ending Achilles injury.
The Browns announced on Tuesday that they signed Bailey Zappe off the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad. It came as Clevland officially placed Watson on injured reserve. Since Zappe was signed off the Chiefs practice squad, he’ll join the active roster.
Zappe joins a quarterback room that includes Jameis Winston and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. He was a fourth-round pick of the Patriots in 2022 and made a name for himself in New England. Zappe has compiled a 4-4 record as a starter over two seasons, appearing in 14 games overall.
The 25-year-old quarterback has thrown for 2,053 yards, with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
The Browns also announced that they had waived long-time linebacker Tony Field II from injured reserve and re-signed running back Gary Brightwell to the practice squad.
Browns Faced With Uncertainty at QB
The signing of Zappe comes with uncertainty around the Browns’ quarterback situation moving forward. Thompson-Robinson was promoted to the No. 2 spot for Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and replaced Watson after the injury.
“I think going into the season, I felt like both guys were worthy of being the backup quarterback. I told those guys that early in the season,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said of the decision to demote Winston.
Winston entered late after Thompson-Robinson injured a finger. The Browns have yet to announce who will start Week 8 against the surging Baltimore Ravens.
“Jameis has done a nice job really going all the way back to since he’s gotten here,” Stefanski said. “Understanding how we operate, what we do, feel really confident in Jameis as well.”
The Browns are awaiting a clear picture on Thompson-Robinson’s finger injury before making a decision.
“My thought process is really day-to-day in this business right now,” Stefanski said. “So, we’ll see how he comes out of this injury, see what the doctors say and that type of thing, and then we’ll make our decisions.”
Browns Searching for Long-Term Solution at Quarterback
The Browns made a big investment in Watson, which included three first-round picks the team sent to the Houston Texans via trade and a $230 million guaranteed contract. It has not paid off for Cleveland, with Watson going down with back-to-back season-ending injuries and poor play when he has been on the field.
Watson has posted a 9-10 record as the starter in Cleveland, passing for 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His injury has created a polarizing situation in Cleveland, with many fans cheering as he was carted off the field at the team’s home stadium.
“Whether it’s an opponent that goes down or one of our own, we don’t boo,” Browns star Myles Garrett said after Sunday’s loss. “We don’t boo the guys that are injured on the field, especially with the extent where the cart comes out. We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns and as fans to boo anyone and their downfall.”
The Browns now face a decision on their future at quarterback. Watson’s play was already sub-par before the injury and now he’ll miss even more time. He’s played in just 19 games since 2020. Cleveland is locked in to his contract but are on pace for a high draft pick that could serve as Watson’s replacement.
