The Browns went through a revolving door at quarterback last season, with five different QBs getting a start in 2023.
Cleveland did everything in its power this offseason to make sure that doesn't happen again.
When Deshaun Watson went down with an injury last year, the AFC North mainstay bounced between rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, veteran P.J. Walker and journeyman Jeff Driskel before signing 38-year-old Joe Flacco off the couch. The Super Bowl champion helped the team reach the postseason, but the Browns fell in the wild-card round to the Texans.
As a result, there was no team that loaded up quite as much in the QB room as the Browns this offseason. Given his contract and status as QB1 when healthy, Watson was the only guarantee to be back on the roster in 2024 from the 2023 squad. However, in terms of the backup role, the team gave itself options, signing both Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley, while also having Thompson-Robinson signed to a cheap deal.
Now that the regular season is about to get underway, the Browns narrowed down their QB room to just three, ultimately electing to release Huntley as one of its final roster cuts ahead of Week 1.
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So what does the QB depth chart look like now? Here is what the Browns quarterback situation looks like to start the 2024 NFL season.
Browns QB depth chart
| QB Rank | Name |
| No. 1 | Deshaun Watson |
| No. 2 | Jameis Winston |
| No. 3 | Dorian Thompson-Robinson |
1. Deshaun Watson
The Browns paid Watson to be their starting quarterback when the team shelled out $230 million in guaranteed money in 2022. It was going to be hard for the three-time Pro Bowler to live up to that contract.
So far, it's been a disastrous deal. Injuries have plagued Watson's first two seasons in Cleveland, as he's only suited up for a total of 12 games as a Brown. After playing in just six games in 2022, he was in for just as many in 2023. In those six games, he completed 61.4% of his passes for 1,115 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions.
2. Jameis Winston
After four seasons as the backup in New Orleans, Winston inked a one-year, $4 million with Cleveland this offseason, giving the Browns a reliable option to back up Watson. The 30-year-old saw action in seven games last season, throwing for 264 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 53.2% of his passes.
In his four years with the Saints, Winston started 10 times, with seven of those contests coming in 2021. He made the other three starts in 2022, and did not begin any game last year for the Saints with Derek Carr at the helm. Winston is more of a locker room presence at this point in his career, but he still has a rocket of an arm that can come in if Watson goes down with injury again. Winston is always a wild card when he's out there, but the No.1 pick from 2015 should be one of the more reliable backups in the league.
3. Dorian Thompson-Robinson
Thompson-Robinson is entering his second season in the NFL. The UCLA product saw action in eight games last season for the Browns, including three starts. He completed 53.6% of his passes for 440 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. He also added 65 yards on the ground with his legs.
The fifth-round pick from 2023 flashed in his rookie preseason, but what the Browns saw on the field when Watson went out with an injury wasn't suitable enough for the remainder of the season. With Winston now ahead of him on the depth chart, it'll take a double dosage of health issues in the Cleveland QB room for Thompson-Robinson to see playing time in 2024.
