Getty Images Wyatt Teller of the Cleveland Browns.
If you asked various members of the Cleveland Browns front office which quarterbacks will start for how many games this season — or if all those who will start are currently on the roster — they probably couldn’t give you an accurate answer. Heck, they might not even be close.
Such has always been the nature of quarterback play in the NFL, at least to some degree, but the issue is exponentially worse for the Browns as they await the final fate of Deshaun Watson, their prospective starter under center. Watson is facing at least a six-game suspension for violations of the league’s player conduct policy, though the NFL has appealed that ruling and there remains a chance the QB could be sidelined for the entire 2022 regular season.
But amid that uncertainty has emerged the always colorful Wyatt Teller, a Pro Bowl guard on Cleveland’s offensive line, to remind everyone that all will be well as long as the Browns’ offense remembers to do one important thing — run the damn football.
“Yeah, let’s run the ball,” Teller said Monday, August 8, per Fred Greetham of Orange and Brown Report. “I am an offensive lineman, let’s run the ball. Honestly, I alluded to it, but I am so worried about what is going on in front of me, what [linebacker] to block or what [defensive] lineman to block, I can’t really worry who is behind me.”
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Browns Have Top NFL Trio of Rushers, But Kareem Hunt Unhappy
GettyBrowns running backs Nick Chubb (left) and Kareem Hunt (right).
Teller was referring to the quarterback behind him, and while the name of that player in Week 1 may yet be unclear, the running backs rushing off Teller’s rear are as clear as the day is long.
The Browns certainly have the personnel to pound the football all game, every game, with three-time Pro Bowler Nick Chubb leading former NFL rushing champion Kareem Hunt and 2021 breakout player D’Ernest Johnson in arguably the best offensive backfield in the game. However, even in the running back room, there is some unrest.
Hunt recently executed a “partial hold-in,” per Josina Anderson of CBS, refusing to engage in portions of practices and demanding a trade if Cleveland won’t sign him to a new multiyear contract. The running back will play this coming season on the second year of a two-year deal worth a total of $12 million.
“Browns RB Kareem Hunt — currently seeking a contract extension — did not participate in team drills for the second consecutive practice on Saturday,” Anderson tweeted. “I’ve been told several times Hunt periodically has said to members of the team informally — he wants to get paid or traded.”
Cleveland has indicated it is not inclined to grant Hunt a trade or a new contract, and plans to fine the running back for missed time, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Browns May Trade For Niners’ Garoppolo if Watson Faces Long Suspension
GettyQuarterback Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers signals during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on September 19, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
While all signs point to the likelihood that Hunt will be behind Teller, along with Chubb and Johnson, there is a reasonable chance that Watson will not be — at least not to start the year.
Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett is slated to step in as the starter in Watson’s stead, though the organization made that decision back when it was reasonable to believe Watson may miss half the season or less.
With that outcome now less certain, Matt Lombardo of Heavy.com spoke to people around the NFL who believe the Browns should attempt to trade for San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo sooner rather than later.
“The Niners could probably get at least a third-round pick from a team like the Browns, but the longer they hold [Garoppolo], the price could go way up,” an NFC executive told Lombardo. “Imagine if a team loses their starter between now and Week 1. What would the [Los Angeles] Rams trade the Niners if Matthew Stafford goes down? It has to be much higher. The longer San Francisco holds him, the better they’ll do, in any trade.”