The Cleveland Browns officially will be without their starting quarterback for the first 11 games of the 2022 season as Deshaun Watson's official suspension was revealed Thursday.
For a Browns team which should have postseason aspirations given their talent elsewhere on the roster, it begs the question whether Cleveland will target another quarterback through a trade. The Browns currently have NFL veteran Jacoby Brissett behind Watson on the depth chart, but improving at the position nevertheless could benefit the group through the first 11 games.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked about Cleveland's mindset regarding its signal-caller position given Watson's impending absence.
"We're excited about Jacoby and have a ton of trust in Jacoby. And when Deshaun is ready he'll rejoin the team," Stefanski said, as seen on NFL Network. "We've been around him now since April, watching him practice. We're confident in his abilities."
Stefanski acknowledged how Brissett now will get the first-team reps after splitting them with Watson previously.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry shared much of the same, but still did not close the door on a potential trade.
"We have a lot of confidence in Jacoby," Berry said, as seen on NFL Network.
One potential quarterback the Browns could consider trading for is San Francisco 49ers signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo. Reports previously surfaced indicating the Browns would be interested in trading for Garoppolo should Watson's suspension be extended in an appeal. Watson previously was suspended six games before NFL commissioner Roger Goodell appealed the punishment, which is how the 11 game mark came about.
It is worth noting how Garoppolo, 30, owns a $27 million cap hit entering his final season under contract. The 29-year-old Brissett, meanwhile, owns a cap hit of merely $4.7 million.
