Getty QB P.J. Walker, formerly of the Chicago Bears.
The Cleveland Browns have added a third quarterback to the roster.
P.J. Walker, who most recently had a cup of coffee with the Chicago Bears this offseason, signed onto Cleveland’s practice squad on Wednesday, August 30. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that Walker has taken the place of former Browns QB Kellen Mond who the team included in its roster cuts on Tuesday.
The #Browns signed QB P.J. Walker to their practice squad.
QB Kellen Mond, who initially was believed to be returning to Cleveland, is now a free agent.
“The #Browns signed QB P.J. Walker to their practice squad,” Pelissero posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. “QB Kellen Mond, who was initially believed to be returning to Cleveland, is now a free agent.”
P.J. Walker’s Brief Time with Bears Didn’t Go as Planned
GettyQuarterback P.J. Walker, formerly of the Chicago Bears, signed with the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad on August 30, 2023.
The Bears added Walker to the roster just as free agency began in March, signing the former Carolina Panthers quarterback to a two-year contract worth $4.15 million in total that included $2.01 million in guaranteed money.
The timing and financial details of the deal indicated that Chicago had already decided Walker was their man to back up third-year starter Justin Fields. However, Walker struggled mightily during the preseason and was outshone by undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent. The Bears released Walker two days ahead of league-wide cut-down day, eating the $2 million in guaranteed salary simply to move on.
Those developments can be viewed in a couple of different ways. The first is that the Bears were overly excited based on a few good moments from Walker in Carolina during the 2022 campaign and that he really isn’t much of an NFL quarterback.
The second way is that Walker struggled during this preseason but has a solid enough track record in the league that he’s actually a bargain for the Browns because he’s better than a practice squad-caliber quarterback — hence the deal he got from Chicago in March.
#Browns assistant GM Glenn Cook on adding QB P.J. Walker to practice squad.
“Whenever you can add guys who’ve played in this league, understand what it’s like to play 17-plus weeks, that adds value to your team,” Browns assistant GM Glenn Cook said of Walker on Wednesday, per X video provided by Scott Petrak of Browns Zone. “We like P.J. We like what he’ll bring to that room and kinda how it’s rounded out, so we feel good about that.”
P.J. Walker Found Some Success as Starter for Panthers
GettyFormer Carolina Panthers quarterback P.J. Walker is now a member of the Cleveland Browns.
Walker will play the 2023 campaign at 28 years of age. He is undersized for the position, standing at 5’11” and weighing 210 pounds.
Over three years with the Panthers between 2020-22, Walker appeared in 15 games and earned seven stars. He produced a record of 4-3 as a starter.
During the course of his NFL career, Walker has completed 57.5% of his 228 pass attempts for 1,461 yards, five touchdowns and 11 interceptions, per Pro Football Reference. He has also rushed the ball 18 times for a 50 yards and recorded four fumbles.
Walker is unlikely to see the field this season, as he is slotted behind starter Deshaun Watson and rookie backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson. However, Browns fans will probably see Walker suited up at least once or twice in 2023 due to a new NFL rule that allows teams to dress a third QB for cases of emergency who doesn’t count against the team’s 53-man game day roster total.