To no surprise to anyone, Jacoby Brissett is likely the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback if Deshaun Watson is suspended during the 2022 season. The Browns signed Brissett shortly after acquiring Watson and have discussed him as the team’s backup ever since.
Now, with Watson’s hearing with the independent arbitrator set to start on Tuesday and rumors out that the league wants a lengthy suspension for the QB, it turns more attention to Brissett. Unless Watson follows Tom Brady’s timeline following suspension, Brissett is taking snaps as the team’s starter in 2022.
Some fans held out hope that Baker Mayfield, still on the team’s roster, would come to save the day. For Mayfield, the Browns roster gives him the best chance to succeed in 2022 and to get a big contract somewhere else in 2023.
That bridge is burnt for a variety of on and off-the-field related reasons but Cleveland’s decision, at least based on what we see on the field, seems to be based on limiting mistakes.
For Brissett, all he has to do is be better than the team’s starter was in 2021.
A few things stand out when looking at a statistical comparison of Brissett and Mayfield. The former Heisman Trophy winner has attempted a lot more passes, thrown for a lot more yards and thrown a lot more touchdowns:
Based on the statistics, and watching the game, it is clear that Mayfield has a higher upside.
The big number that stands out for Brissett is the interceptions column. While Mayfield has attempted less than double the passes of Brissett, he’s thrown more than three times as many interceptions.
The per game shows it perfectly as Mayfield throws almost an interception every game while Brissett throws one every three games.
With the Browns loaded roster, choosing Brissett over Mayfield is all about making sure mistakes aren’t made by the quarterback. That is before any of the off-the-field/locker room concerns that seem to be hinted at by many in the media without specific reports of what has happened.
While many Cleveland fans may want Mayfield to return or the higher ceiling quarterback, in Brissett the team is betting on his lack of mistakes to replace Watson, if needed.