Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski made the team’s quarterback change official on Wednesday: Dorian Thompson-Robinson will start Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, and Jameis Winston will be on the bench at QB2.
Stefanski announced the news. during his media availability, saying he “wanted to give (Thompson-Robinson) a chance and give him a whole week to prepare as a starter. So, that’s what made the decision.”
“A young player who has really improved in all areas,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters of Thompson-Robinson. “He’s done a really, really good job of getting up to speed on all the nuances of the position. He’s done a really good job of staying prepared for when the time comes that they put him there. So he’s really prepared himself.” part of this very well.”
The ascension of Thompson-Robinson, the 2023 fifth-round pick who is also known as DTR, ends Winston’s time as starting quarterback. Winston replaced Deshaun Watson midway through the Browns’ Week 7 game against the Cincinnati Bengals when Watson suffered a torn Achilles tendon, and has started every game since.
During the seven games Winston started after Watson went down, he showed flashes of brilliance at times, throwing for 2,038 yards and 13 touchdowns. But the 12 interceptions he threw were a big part of his downfall, especially recently. In the Browns’ last three games, all of them losses, Winston has thrown eight interceptions.
Now DTR will have the opportunity to fully prepare this week to be Sunday’s starter after replacing Winston during the Week 15 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. While Stefanski didn’t talk about the starting QB for Weeks 17 and 18 on Wednesday, Thompson-Robinson has a good chance to start them if he plays well on Sunday.