It was hinted in late November that the Cleveland Browns could bench veteran quarterback Jameis Winston to “get a look at” 2023 fifth-round draft pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson before the season concludes.
Even though the 3-10 Browns have been officially eliminated from playoff contention, head coach Kevin Stefanski somewhat surprisingly confirmed on Monday that Winston will start this coming Sunday’s home game versus the 12-1 Kansas City Chiefs.
“For me, and for us, we’re just going to continue to do everything we can to play better,” Stefanski explained, as shared by Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. “Obviously, I think we can play better on offense. Certainly, as a team, we can play better. But, really, the focus is making sure we put our guys in position to find a way to win.”
Winston has become a fan-favorite playing in place of injured Week 1 starter Deshaun Watson but has also continued the trend of matching highlight-reel throws with avoidable mistakes. He tossed six interceptions over his past three starts, two of which occurred in Cleveland’s 27-14 loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
“We don’t want to give the ball away in any form or fashion,” Stefanski said on Monday, according to Daryl Ruiter of Cleveland sports radio station 92.3 The Fan. “We don’t want to fumble it away. We don’t want to throw interceptions, but we also coach each play because each play is a little bit different than the last. So like I’ve said to you guys before, not all interceptions are created equal, and all we can do with any play is learn from them and that’s what Jameis will continue to do.”
Thompson-Robinson has thus far made just three career starts, so the Browns theoretically would benefit from giving the 25-year-old some in-game reps if it’s true that Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry are safe as has been reported. On Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Winston-led Browns as 6.5-point underdogs against the Chiefs.
“Yeah, my line of thinking, really, is about Kansas City and this week,” Stefanski responded when asked if he could turn to Thompson-Robinson at some point before Week 18. “That’s where I’ll really focus.”
The Browns will reportedly hold onto Watson through the offseason but then make him compete for the starting job next summer as he works to recover from the ruptured Achilles he suffered on Oct. 20. Things often quickly change in the NFL, but Stefanski is showing with his actions that Thompson-Robinson probably won’t be more than a QB3 for Cleveland if he’s on the roster when preseason games get underway in August 2025.
