Cleveland Browns: Freddie Kitchens, emergency quarterback
By Randy Gurzi
When asked about the Cleveland Browns plan for an emergency quarterback, head coach Freddie Kitchens jokingly threw his name into the mix
Entering the season, the Cleveland Browns had three quarterbacks on the roster. They were going into the year with Baker Mayfield, Drew Stanton, and Garrett Gilbert who became a fan favorite after lighting up the AAF with the Orlando Apollos.
Now in Week 4, they’re down to only two signal-callers as Stanton went to the injured reserve. That elevated Gilbert to second-string but so far, the Browns have decided not to keep a third quarterback.
That led to some reporters asking head coach Freddie Kitchens who would be the emergency option should both Mayfield and Gilbert succumb to an injury. In classic Freddie fashion, the coach joked that he would probably be the guy.
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"“It would probably be me,” Kitchens said via Jeff Risdon of Browns Wire. “We have a plan. I just do not want to say anything about it. We have a couple of receivers that can throw the ball.”"
As Risdon pointed out, Kitchens deadpanned the answer, something he is great at and the crowd enjoyed it.
Jokes aside, Kitchens does have some quarterback chops to fall back on. He played the position for Alabama back in the mid 1990s and had more than 4,000 yards passing and 30 touchdowns.
However, that’s a far cry from him ever truly considering throwing a pass in the NFL today. Instead, the real answer lies in the statement that followed.
Kitchens said they have a couple of wide receivers that can throw the ball, which immediately brings up the idea of either Jarvis Landry or Odell Beckham, Jr. lining up under center.
Landry is 2-of-5 passing in his career for 72 yards including a 63-yarder he completed last year. As for OBJ, he’s 2-of-3 for 106 yards and two touchdowns — both of which came last season with the New York Giants.
Of course, this is all hypothetical and hopefully we never have to know what the team’s plan is should they lose their quarterbacks.
That doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be fun to see either of those wideouts throw a pass to one another during a game — as long as it’s on a trick play.