With Deshaun Watson out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, the Cleveland Browns will turn to Jameis Winston as their starting quarterback, head coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday. Watson suffered the injury on Sunday during the Browns’ 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Prior to Sunday’s game, the Browns had designated Winston as the emergency quarterback behind Dorian Thompson-Robinson. With Watson out, Winston has been promoted, with Cleveland giving the start to the veteran quarterback.
Winston, a 10-year veteran of the league, signed a one-year contract with the Browns in March after stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints.
On Sunday, after Watson went down, Thompson-Robinson took over at quarterback and went 11-of-24 for 82 yards and two interceptions. Winston was then called in to finish the game, going 5-for-11 for 67 yards and scoring a late touchdown with less than two minutes remaining.
Watson will undergo surgery in the coming weeks. Although the team is assured of the quarterback’s massive contract, the financial implications of the deal had already left the team in dire straits before Watson’s demise.
The 1-6 Browns’ upcoming stretch includes two home games — against the Baltimore Ravens (5-2) and Los Angeles Chargers (3-3) — and a bye in Week 10. At least for the foreseeable future, Cleveland will have Winston guides the team through the rest of this season.
