Jacoby Brissett was always going to start Week 1 for the Browns once Deshaun Watson was suspended, but the duration of his potential run as the starter became official Thursday when Watson and the NFL settled on an 11-game ban.
That means, until Watson returns for the Week 13 game against the Texans in Houston, it will fall on Brissett to keep the Browns competitive.
Brissett is no stranger to starting. He has 37 career starts (14-23 record), most recently posting a 2-3 record with the Dolphins last season. But he's ready to have another go-around in 2022. The Browns signed him after they traded for Watson.
He said he's "excited" to start, per ESPN, and it's something he doesn't "take lightly."
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Brissett's teammates almost seem more enthusiastic about having him under center.
“I mean, he’s the guy that we look to for that elder wisdom," said Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on Friday, per the Akron Beacon Journal. "He’s like one of the, what do they call … the Shaman. He has the … he has the wisdom that we’re all trying to get. But, no, he’s a great guy.”
Other Browns seem excited to have Brissett on the field.
"Can't really worry about what outsiders say," new wide receiver Amari Cooper said. "We know Jacoby, we understand what he brings to the table, we see him practice every day, see how hard he works, so we 100 percent believe in him. He wouldn't be back there if we didn't. Again, not really worried about what outsiders say. We're just going to go out there and do our job."
That's all good talk, but the reality is, the Browns are short on options. After Brissett on the depth chart they have Joshua Dobbs and Josh Rosen, so Brissett is in a "has to work out" position.
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Browns schedule 2022
Deshaun Watson's expected Browns debut in bold.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Kickoff time | TV |
| 1 | Sept. 11 | at Panthers | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 2 | Sept. 18 | vs. Jets | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 3 | Sept. 22 | vs. Steelers (Thursday) | 8:15 p.m. ET | Amazon Prime Video |
| 4 | Oct. 2 | at Falcons | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 5 | Oct. 9 | vs. Chargers | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 6 | Oct. 16 | vs. Patriots | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 7 | Oct. 23 | at Ravens | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 8 | Oct. 31 | vs. Bengals (Monday) | 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| 9 | BYE | — | — | — |
| 10 | Nov. 13 | at Dolphins | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 11 | Nov. 20 | at Bills | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 12 | Nov. 27 | vs. Buccaneers | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 13 | Dec. 4 | at Texans | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 14 | Dec. 11 | at Bengals | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 15 | Dec. 17/18 | vs. Ravens | TBD | TBD |
| 16 | Dec. 24 | vs. Saints (Saturday) | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 17 | Jan. 1 | at Commanders | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 18 | Jan. 7/8 | at Steelers | TBD | TBD |
Cleveland has a chance to be playing meaningful games in December. The AFC North is looking like a boom-or-bust division, and the Browns will have their share of winnable games early in the season; they play substandard opponents in the Panthers, Jets and Falcons in the first six weeks.
With that being said, Brissett is a serviceable bridge quarterback but he has yet to have an above-.500 season as a starter. Perhaps this is the year. His teammates certainly have faith in him. But the Browns have a tall hill to climb in the meantime.