Browns' Jacoby Brissett 'excited' to start again after Deshaun Watson suspension, teammates look to vet for 'wisdom'

Kevin Skiver

Browns' Jacoby Brissett 'excited' to start again after Deshaun Watson suspension, teammates look to vet for 'wisdom' image

Jacoby Brissett was always going to start Week 1 for the Browns once Deshaun Watson was suspended, but the duration of his potential run as the starter became official Thursday when Watson and the NFL settled on an 11-game ban.

That means, until Watson returns for the Week 13 game against the Texans in Houston, it will fall on Brissett to keep the Browns competitive.

Brissett is no stranger to starting. He has 37 career starts (14-23 record), most recently posting a 2-3 record with the Dolphins last season. But he's ready to have another go-around in 2022. The Browns signed him after they traded for Watson.

He said he's "excited" to start, per ESPN, and it's something he doesn't "take lightly."

DeCOURCY: Harsher suspension is the only aspect of Watson case that doesn't feel sickening

Brissett's teammates almost seem more enthusiastic about having him under center.

“I mean, he’s the guy that we look to for that elder wisdom," said Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on Friday, per the Akron Beacon Journal. "He’s like one of the, what do they call … the Shaman. He has the … he has the wisdom that we’re all trying to get. But, no, he’s a great guy.”

Other Browns seem excited to have Brissett on the field.

"Can't really worry about what outsiders say," new wide receiver Amari Cooper said. "We know Jacoby, we understand what he brings to the table, we see him practice every day, see how hard he works, so we 100 percent believe in him. He wouldn't be back there if we didn't. Again, not really worried about what outsiders say. We're just going to go out there and do our job."

That's all good talk, but the reality is, the Browns are short on options. After Brissett on the depth chart they have Joshua Dobbs and Josh Rosen, so Brissett is in a "has to work out" position.

MORE: Deshaun Watson fantasy outlook after 11-game suspension

Browns schedule 2022

Deshaun Watson's expected Browns debut in bold.

Week Date Opponent Kickoff time  TV
1 Sept. 11 at Panthers 1 p.m. ET CBS
2 Sept. 18 vs. Jets 1 p.m. ET CBS
3 Sept. 22 vs. Steelers (Thursday) 8:15 p.m. ET Amazon Prime Video
4 Oct. 2 at Falcons 1 p.m. ET CBS
5 Oct. 9 vs. Chargers 1 p.m. ET CBS
6 Oct. 16 vs. Patriots 1 p.m. ET CBS
7 Oct. 23 at Ravens 1 p.m. ET CBS
8 Oct. 31 vs. Bengals (Monday) 8:15 p.m. ET ESPN
9 BYE
10 Nov. 13 at Dolphins 1 p.m. ET CBS
11 Nov. 20 at Bills 1 p.m. ET CBS
12 Nov. 27 vs. Buccaneers 1 p.m. ET Fox
13 Dec. 4 at Texans 1 p.m. ET CBS
14 Dec. 11 at Bengals 1 p.m. ET CBS
15 Dec. 17/18 vs. Ravens TBD TBD
16 Dec. 24 vs. Saints (Saturday) 1 p.m. ET CBS
17 Jan. 1 at Commanders 1 p.m. ET Fox
18 Jan. 7/8 at Steelers TBD TBD

Cleveland has a chance to be playing meaningful games in December. The AFC North is looking like a boom-or-bust division, and the Browns will have their share of winnable games early in the season; they play substandard opponents in the Panthers, Jets and Falcons in the first six weeks.

With that being said, Brissett is a serviceable bridge quarterback but he has yet to have an above-.500 season as a starter. Perhaps this is the year. His teammates certainly have faith in him. But the Browns have a tall hill to climb in the meantime.

Kevin Skiver

Kevin Skiver Photo

Kevin Skiver has been a content producer at Sporting News since 2021. He previously worked at CBS Sports as a trending topics writer, and now writes various pieces on MLB, the NFL, the NBA, and college sports. He enjoys hiking and eating, not necessarily in that order.