The Cleveland Browns just can’t seem to catch a break. They were fresh off the most important regular-season win of the Kevin Stefanski era, and Deshaun Watson had his best performance since arriving in Berea. Then, the team announced that their quarterback would miss the rest of the season with an injured shoulder.
Now, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reveals that Stefanski and his coaching staff are ready to roll with rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson as his replacement, and he’s on track to make his second career start this Sunday when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Watson will be ready for the start of next season, so Thompson-Robinson will have seven games to audition and either prove to the Browns that he’s a better option going forward, or get himself a new team somewhere else.
He was quite impressive in the preseason and offers a dual-threat skill set we saw for years at UCLA. The team was so high on him that they even traded backup QB Joshua Dobbs away shortly before the start of the season, so he’s likely going to have a longer leash than P.J. Walker.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson of the Cleveland Browns
Will He Fare Better This Time?
Dorian Thompson-Robinson wasn’t exactly lights out in his first career start vs. the Baltimore Ravens. He completed just 19 of 36 passes for 121 yards and three interceptions, adding four carries for 24 yards. He also took four sacks.
Then again, the setting was far from ideal, as he wasn’t prepared for the game because Deshaun Watson was supposed to start, not to mention the fact that he was going against one of the elite defenses of the league.
Then again, the fifth-round rookie has now had some more time on the sidelines to get a hold of the offense and make adjustments, and he was one of the most experienced rookies in the game after staying in college for five years due to the extra eligibility year given because of the pandemic.
His ceiling isn’t sky-high, but the Browns already know what Walker can give them, and even though the Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t the kind of team you want to make experiments against, their current record and stellar defense give him a bit of a cushion to test things out.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson of the Cleveland Browns
This Might Not Be Permanent
It’s also worth noting that Walker will continue to be a part of the team, so they could turn back to him at any time if they don’t like what they see from their rookie. While erratic and not the best decision-maker, he did lead the team to a 2-1 record as a starter.
see also
Deshaun Watson is out for the remainder of the season due to injury
The Browns reportedly tried to trade for Jacoby Brissett before the trade deadline but were unable to meet the Washington Commanders’ asking price, mostly because they were confident in their two backups. The circumstances are unfortunate and obviously, no one wanted Watson to get hurt, but they feel like they’re well prepared for this scenario, and it’ll be up to their rookie to prove them right… or not.
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