Trade rumors have swirled around the Cleveland Browns but quarterback Jacoby Brissett isn’t bothered.
Brissett was acquired this offseason to be the backup to Deshaun Watson, with the clear intention that he’d start some games with Watson facing a suspension. The Browns learned this week that Watson will miss 11 games without pay after he was accused by more than two dozen women of sexual misconduct during massage sessions.
That leaves Brissett as the starter for the majority of the season and the veteran QB eager to prove that he’s the right option.
“I have to go out there and prove that every day, right? I am just excited for the opportunity,” Brissett told reporters on August 19. “I do not take it lightly obviously. Just going out there and continuing to be the man that I am, the player that I am and the teammate that I am, and I think all of that stuff kind of takes care of itself for itself and I do not really have to speak on that.”
Brissett has functioned mostly as a backup during his career but has 37 starts to his name, collecting a record of 14-23 in those contests. In six seasons, Brissett has put up 7,742 yards, 36 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
Browns Back Jacoby Brissett After Watson Suspension
The Browns have been circled as a potential home for 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. San Francisco has been clear that he’s not in their plans going forward but Garoppolo’s hefty $24.2 million salary for this season makes him a tough player to trade. If the 49ers do not find a trade partner, they could cut Garoppolo without having to pay him that non-guaranteed money.
The Browns are a logical destination for Garoppolo due to their remaining cap space, which is just over $49 million, per Over the Cap, which is an NFL-high. That being said, the Browns have expressed confidence in Brissett as the interim starter — and leader — with Watson out.
“He is very much himself,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on August 19. “He is an established pro so the guys certainly respect him. I think what he does is he works and he does not say much when he works, and I think the guys really see that day in and day out.”
As for those QB trade rumors, Stefanski assured Brissett is focused on the task at hand.
“Our players come in here, and we have a job to do and we have work to do,” Stefanski said. “I know that on the outside it may not seem like that at times, but for us in here, we really worry about what is going on inside our walls and on this practice field.”
Backup Role Still a Battle as Preseason Progresses
While Brissett appears set to take over the starting role, who will be his backup is still a conversation. The Browns are evaluating both Joshua Dobbs and Josh Rosen for the backup spot and will get a good look at them during the team’s second preseason game against the Eaglese Brissett is not expected to suit up for the matchup, leaving all the preseason reps between Rosen and Dobbs.
Dobbs currently has the upper hand on Rosen but Stefanski was clear that nothing is settled just yet.
“I think everything is a competition. All of these players are earning their role,” Stefaniski said. “Josh Dobbs is farther along because he has been with us [longer] than Josh Rosen, but everything is a competition.”
The Browns wrap up their preseason on August 27 against the Bears and will have to start shaping their 53-man roster shortly after.
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Browns QB Jacoby Brissett Sends Message on Rampant Trade Rumors