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Daniel Oyefusi, ESPNDec 18, 2024, 02:30 PM ET
- Daniel Oyefusi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN. Prior to ESPN, he covered the Miami Dolphins for the Miami Herald, as well as the Baltimore Ravens for The Baltimore Sun.
BEREA, Ohio — While Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said that he is “week-to-week” when asked about newly named starting quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson staying in the role for the final three regular-season games, the second-year player sees the opportunity to parlay it into something bigger.
When asked if he views the final three games as an audition to be the Browns’ starting quarterback in 2025, Thompson-Robinson said, “Oh yeah. Best believe we’re trying to take full advantage of it, too. We’re going to go out there and we’re going to try to win these games.”
Thompson-Robinson, a 2023 fifth-round pick, will make his fourth career start Sunday. He started three games as a rookie, completing 53.6% of his passes for 440 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. The Browns were 1-2 in those starts.
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He briefly entered the Browns’ Week 7 game against the Bengals after Deshaun Watson sustained a season-ending right Achilles tendon tear. Thompson-Robinson completed 11 of 24 passes for 82 yards and two interceptions before exiting with a thumb injury. He was then inserted late in the fourth quarter of Cleveland’s 21-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday after Jameis Winston’s third interception. Thompson-Robinson completed 4 of 9 passes for 18 yards and was intercepted on the final drive.
“Wanted to give him an opportunity and give him an entire week to prepare as the starter,” Stefanski said Wednesday in announcing his decision to start Thompson-Robinson.
The Browns’ quarterback situation for the 2025 season remains murky. Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry have been noncommittal on Watson as the starter going forward.
Watson has started just 19 games since Cleveland traded three first-round picks for him and gave him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract before the 2022 season. Watson has posted the lowest total QBR among qualifying passers this season. The Browns still owe Watson $46 million in each of the last two seasons of his deal and he has cap hits of more than $72 million in 2025 and 2026. Cleveland has a 99.1% chance of obtaining a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, according to ESPN Analytics, which could be used on a signal-caller.
Winston, who will back up Thompson-Robinson, said Wednesday that he believed he showed enough to teams that he is a starting quarterback in the NFL. He added that being benched did not change his prior comments about being open to returning to the Browns next season. Winston, who signed a one-year deal worth $4 million last offseason, said he has not had discussions with the Browns front office regarding an extension to this point.
“I’m content with the highs and I’m content with the lows,” Winston said. “But I’m never satisfied. … I’m going to continue to pursue my dream, and I hope that another team or this team gives me another opportunity to show what I’m capable of.”
The Browns went 2-5 in starts under Winston, who led two upset victories over the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, helping lift a Cleveland offense that struggled mightily under Watson. Winston, however, has thrown 12 interceptions since Week 8, which is three more than the next closest player, the Atlanta Falcons‘ Kirk Cousins (9).
