The Cleveland Browns are likely going into Saturday’s important match-up with the Las Vegas Raiders with Nick Mullens as their starting quarterback. It is so overwhelmingly strange to write that a team in the hunt for a playoff spot and division title will be starting a player on their practice squad at the most important position on the field for a game late in the season.
Perhaps even more overwhelmingly strange is that, as of early Friday morning, we do not know who the team’s backup quarterback is in case of injury or another COVID-19 related problem. The best guess is the team’s practice squad fullback, Johnny Stanton, because he played quarterback in college.
Wide receiver Jarvis Landry would traditionally be the team’s emergency quarterback but he is also on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
One other option, jokingly of course, is to pull a former Browns quarterback off the street and give them a chance. Tim Couch, the team’s top pick upon their return, said that he’s ready to step in if needed:
I’m ready. Let’s do this. I can hand off to Chubb and throw sceeens all game haha
— Tim Couch (@TimCouchQB) December 16, 2021
Couch also seems to have a solid game plan for his time on the field. Hand it off and throw short screens.
In the end, there is hope that Baker Mayfield and/or Case Keenum could be cleared in time to play Saturday. Even if they are not, unfortunately, Browns fans won’t be able to dust off their old #2 Tim Couch jersey to cheer for the man once again.