The Cleveland Browns need to have a surefire contingency plan in place at quarterback in case things don’t go according to plan with Deshaun Watson.
Watson is expected to be ready for Week 1 but is still recovering from shoulder surgery. The Browns’ $230 million quarterback suffered a fractured shoulder socket and partially torn labrum last season.
Watson has played in just 12 games over the past two seasons and hasn’t played in more than six games since the 2020 season. Considering Watson’s recent resume, Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com believes the Browns must focus on preparing Jameis Winston for potential action.
“We won’t know much about Watson until the games count and he’s getting tackled a few times. We also need to see if he can avoid injuries,” Pluto said on June 3. “The Browns must spend as much time as possible preparing Jameis Winston to start, given Watson’s recent injury history. Winston showed a very strong arm in drills and some of the passing plays during practice. Watson started only six games last year. He left one of those in the first quarter with an injury.”
Browns Excited About Jameis Winston’s Potential
The Browns signed Winston this offseason in a somewhat surprising move. Cleveland appeared poised to bring back Joe Flacco after his successful late-season stint, leading the Browns to the postseason. However, the team felt Winston was a better fit and quickly made a deal in free agency.
“I would just say with Joe number one, and we’ve talked about it last year was great getting to know him, getting him implemented into our team, what he meant, the impact he had was special,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said in March. “As we talked about, I think every year you have to look at your roster, look at the team and make decisions that you think are right for the football team. We’re really excited about Jameis. He’s a talented, talented football player. I’m excited about his fit with what we’re doing, but that was really the crux of it.”
Winston has passed for 22,104 yards, 141 touchdowns and 99 interceptions in his career. He has a 34-46 record as a starter and made the Pro Bowl in 2015 as a rookie.
Jameis Winston Honored to ‘Serve’ Browns QB Deshaun Watson
Winston, 30, hopes to be a starter in the league at some point in the future. But for now, he’s embracing his role with the Browns sitting behind Watson.
“A big reason that I wanted to come here was because the opportunity was here for me to serve and to give to my teammates,” Winston said on May 30. “And (Watson) being one of the best quarterbacks in this league, being a quarterback that I have had to see him grow as a No. 1 draft pick and just see his ascension as a player, I have familiarity with that. So it is an honor to serve him.”
Winston is seeing more time on the field during OTAs, with Watson still on the mend. It’s allowing him to work with some of the team’s primary playmakers and also get a feel for Ken Dorsey’s offense.
“As a veteran guy who’s played a lot of football and seen a lot of things, it’s not like he’s not open to the coaching and not open to the evolution of his game, and kind of how maybe we do things a little different than what he’s used to,” Dorsey said. “So he’s done a great job from a leadership standpoint, from an execution standpoint, continuing to grow.”
Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Tyler Huntley will also be in the quarterback rotation for the Browns.
