As if the Cleveland Browns could afford any more blows to their season with just two games remaining, that's exactly what they were dealt with two big updates from head coach Kevin Stefanski ahead of their Week 17 game against the Miami Dolphins.
Stefanski told reporters on Monday after the Browns' Week 16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals that both David Njoku and Dorian Thompson-Robinson would be nursing new injuries throughout the week, with Njoku now dealing with a knee injury and with Thompson-Robinson dealing with a calf injury suffered in his first start of the season.
Thompson-Robinson was relentlessly pressured throughout the game, and that led to him throwing two picks and zero passing touchdowns in the contest. It was a bad first audition for the starting job moving forward, and now a calf injury will be holding him back from at least using his legs to get yards somewhere on the field.
For Njoku, it's just another lower leg injury that the Browns will likely be wanting him to be cautious about as he now has a knee injury to manage in addition to his previous hamstring injury. Njoku looked fine in Week 16 as he went for 66 total yards and a near-touchdown against the Bengals. Now, it looks like he'll keep being a gametime decision with this new injury to monitor.
Who is starting in Week 17?
The QB situation now looms dire for the Browns for their last two games of the year. Going up against the Dolphins and the Baltimore Ravens feels like a cruel way to have them finish up their season, but they've dug themselves this 3-12 through quarterback play. If Thompson-Robinson can't go for some reason in Week 17, do the Browns go back to Jameis Winston who's also hurt or turn to Bailey Zappe?
Yes, it's possible that the Browns go with Zappe in Week 17 to start over Winston and Thompson-Robinson if both backup quarterbacks' injuries are too much to deal with in the game. As of now, Thompson-Robinson has the co-sign to start, but things could change as calf injuries can very easily lead to Achilles tendon issues down the road.
Zappe, a third year quarterback out of Western Kentucky, was the number two quarterback behind Thompson-Robinson in Week 16. If he can't go, Zappe feels like the obvious choice to start as Cleveland's not playing for anything beyond draft positioning. It also gives him a shot at redemption and a chance to showcase his ability to still be useful in the NFL.
