By Nick Brinkerhoff
They say offseasons always bring change, which is a great point. Who is “they” anyway? No one knows and, apparently no one asks either. This is the type of hardcore and in-depth analysis you can expect from our BetBasics team.
Maybe one day I’ll have an answer to that question, but for now I will do what every great debater in the world does. Answer a question you cannot answer with another question the other person also cannot answer.
So here it is. Who is the Cleveland Browns backup quarterback? Baker Mayfield? Nope. Jacoby Brissett? Maybe. Joshua Dobbs? Perhaps. At least we can rule former Browns’ receiver Jarvis Landry out of the realm of possibility this year.
The bottom line is, no one knows. Head coach Kevin Stefanski probably struggles to answer the same question. Here’s an even better thing to ponder. Who is the Browns starting quarterback? Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Give up yet? Maybe you said Deshaun Watson. Good luck figuring out his availability. The same can be said as we go down the endless line of possibilities. The Browns appear insistent upon trading Mayfield away and that’s even with the chance Watson is suspended for the entire 2022 season.
So for the sake of discussion, let’s just say Watson gets to play and Mayfield is traded to one of the other 31 teams. Where does that leave us?
Who is the Browns backup quarterback?
In this scenario we have crafted, the answer is Jacoby Brissett, although we remind you that he could end up as the clear starter in training camp depending on how everything else plays out.
Either way, Brissett is used to this kind of role. Currently listed as the third string quarterback on the depth chart, Brissett entered 2016 in the same situation with the Patriots. He eventually started two games that early in that season, finishing with a 1-1 record.
He was then promptly off to Indianapolis to join the Colts for the next four years, a full time starter in two of them. The North Carolina State product found himself taking over for an injured Andrew Luck in 2017 and did an admirable job in his sophomore campaign, finishing with an 4-11 record in a difficult situation. He was sacked a ton to say the least, 52 times, but managed to add 13 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.
Brissett wouldn’t start again until 2019, the season where the Colts, once again, found themselves in a tough spot, brought on by the sudden retirement of Andrew Luck. Despite the tough circumstances, Brissett showed major improvements from just two years prior, finishing with a 7-8 record, along with 18 touchdowns to only 6 interceptions.
And that’s exactly who Brissett is. A game manager that can win games when he doesn’t have to be the hero. Surround him with a good or great team, then let the playmakers and defense do the rest. He won’t blow you away statistically, but he won’t exactly lose games for you either as the interception numbers indicate.
Is it an ideal situation for Cleveland? Absolutely not. But it’s one they brought on themselves and one they’ll have to live with if the NFL steps in and suspends Watson. Although you can consider the Browns Super Bowl dreams completely dead if Brissett does start for any length of time this year, especially in a tougher AFC North division.