BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns now have a clear picture of their quarterback situation now that the Deshaun Watson suspension has reached a resolution from the NFL and their appeal process. With Watson now set to miss 11 games and pay a $5 million fine for violating the Personal Conduct Policy following dozens of allegations of sexual misconduct against him, Jacoby Brissett is now set to lead the team for more than half the season.
But how do the Browns feel about this new reality at QB?
General manager Andrew Berry and his front office staff certainly have done their homework on options at quarterback since trading for Watson in March. Knowing that a suspension was a possibility, and a very likely one at that, the Browns have kept possible options on the radar—like 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. But making a big move for another quarterback is not of dire importance with the way they value Brissett.
If the move made sense in terms of what the team would have to give up, a player like Garoppolo would certainly be of interest to the Browns. But the team is very confident that Brissett, who has a long history of performing as a backup in the NFL, can get the job done and lead the Browns to a promising position when Watson returns in Week 13 to play against his former team, the Houston Texans.
"Smart guy, intelligent guy, and he has just the capability to take us where we need to be," said linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah about Brissett.
Owusu-Koramoah and Brissett are locker mates and spend a good amount of time together because of it. The linebacker is fond of the quarterback, appreciating Brissett's abilities, growth, and overall attitude.
“He’s always like one of the elders in the locker room, at least for me. He’s sitting right there, I may speak to him about certain things in reference to everyday life in terms of the balance I’m always talking about. He’s experienced a lot of people and he talks about how similar I may be to this guy he’s met or ‘Hey this is what you could do different’ or ‘Hey when you make a mistake, do this.’ Certain things like that, he’s very detailed in his approach as you could kind of see," Owusu-Koramoah raved. "He’s the guy that we look to for that elder wisdom. 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.”
The Shaman—a nickname the team has given to Brissett as he keeps his teammates balanced and gives his coaches confidence that he can deliver as their starting quarterback to open the season.
“We've talked about this before. Jacoby, he's 29, but he's seen a lot in this game. Going back to his days in New England and his days in Indianapolis, he's seen a lot and that's the NFL for quarterbacks as starters, as backups and those types of things. I do think he's able to impart wisdom as a ‘shaman’ to some of those young guys," head coach Kevin Stefanski explained. "I think the players naturally respect him for who he is as a player in this league and what he's made of his career to date. He's an established pro so the guys certainly respect him. I think what he does is he works and he doesn't say much when he works, and I think the guys really see that day in and day out.”
Brissett's no-frills, hardworking attitude is mirrored by one of his offense weapons—running back Nick Chubb. Chubb doesn't have much to say at any given moment, yet still expressed the confidence that he and his teammates share in Brissett.
"We’re very confident. Jacoby’s a seasoned vet, he’s been in the league a long time, he’s made amazing plays, he’s played well wherever he’s been. There’s no doubt in our minds that he won’t be able to get the job done for us," Chubb said.
While Brissett is a quiet guy in general, that doesn't stop him from connecting with his teammates. Not only known as The Shaman—but Brissett is also appreciated by his teammates for the sense of humor he brings to the field and locker room.
"He’s a funny guy. He’s fun to be around. He’s always so serious, but it’s in a fun, facetious way. He’s a great guy to be around," Chubb said. "It’s not even a line, it’s not forced at all. It’s just things he says and how he says things that’s funny."
Another quiet guy on the roster, wide receiver Amari Cooper, also mentioned how much he enjoys Brissett's personality.
"Yeah he's funny," Cooper laughed. "That's the most impressive thing about him off the field. He's a funny dude so he's a real cool dude to be around."
Cooper raved about Brissett's personality, but also, like his other teammates, couldn't say enough about the confidence they have in the now starting quarterback.
"We know Jacoby. We understand what he brings to the table. We see him practice every day and see how hard he works. We 100% 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 thing," Cooper said.
Doing their thing means, even with the $230 million quarterback sidelined for 11 games, playing to compete for a Super Bowl run. It's a stiff goal to ask of a backup generally speaking, but the Browns roster has been built for this opportunity.
From a stacked defensive end room to a talent-riddled rotation at corner, to one of the strongest backfields in the league with a powerhouse of an offensive line—the Browns have once again a roster set to win on paper.
Do the expectations change with Brissett set to lead the charge? The Browns say no way.
"We were always set on focusing on the now, focusing on those things that we can control. And that’s always been the focus," Owusu-Koramoah said. "Nevertheless, the vibe doesn’t change, the energy doesn’t change and we’re always focused on the now."
And are the goals of the team to make a Super Bowl run this year still something they see in their reach? Owusu-Koramoah made it clear:
“Yes. To put simply, absolutely.”
Camryn Justice is a reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @camijustice.
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