The Cleveland Browns have their guy at quarterback, but what about a contingency plan in case something happens? These four quarterbacks should be targeted.
Backup quarterbacks don’t get all of the glamors as the starting quarterbacks do, that is until they are called upon for whatever reason. The Browns have Deshaun Watson for at least the next four seasons, but he still needs a backup.
Jacoby Brissett was tremendous for Cleveland as he went from perennial backup to starter in 2022 as Watson served his 11-game suspension. He likely priced himself out of Northeast Ohio and will surely get looks from other teams to either compete for a starting gig or be a bridge quarterback for an upcoming rookie.
Andrew Berry will need to find a suitable backup for Watson in free agency, which starts in about a month and a half. We’ve seen Kevin Stefanski work his magic with Brissett and Baker Mayfield – who is also a free agent in March – so the Browns will be able to explore all options when addressing a backup.
Here are the four free-agent quarterbacks that the Cleveland Browns should target to be the backup to Deshaun Watson.
4 Free Agent Quarterbacks the Cleveland Browns Should Target as a Backup
No. 4: Nick Mullens
This makes a lot of sense in the fact that Nick Mullens already knows Stefanski’s system. He spent the 2021 season with the Browns and had to make a spot start due to COVID.
In that game, he finished 20-of-30 for 147 yards and a touchdown. Cleveland lost the game, but he played well enough considering the circumstances.
Before coming to Cleveland, he spent his first four seasons with the 49ers, and in 2022, he was Kirk Cousins’ backup in Minnesota this season.
Mullens would not cost all that much, so it is worth at least exploring this option, especially since he knows the system already.
No. 3: Mike White
The New York Jets have had almost as bad of luck at the quarterback position as the Browns have had over the last two decades. Almost.
Mike White showed hope at times and provided sparks in different moments, but he is not the guy to lead a team but would make a solid backup if need be.
White was drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys but never saw the field until 2021 with the Jets. In his two seasons in the Big Apple, well Garden State, he made seven starts for Gang Green.
In those seven starts plus another game in which he came on in relief, White completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 2,145 yards, eight touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also recorded a rushing touchdown. While not eye-popping numbers, he was serviceable.
Sadly for him, and the Jets, it did not translate to many wins. New York finished 2-5 in the seven starts White made, which is, well, not good. Again, he would come to Cleveland simply to be a backup to Watson, and potentially make an occasional start or two depending on injuries or anything else that would keep No.4 off the field.
Stefanski could really get the most out of White should Berry explore this option, but again, strictly in a backup role.
The Jets could potentially be in on the Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes, should that become an option.
No. 2: Cooper Rush
Cooper Rush has spent almost the entirety of his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys, outside of a cup of coffee with the Giants in the summer of 2020. He signed with “America’s Team” as an undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan back in 2017.
This year, Rush really increased his free agent value when he helped navigate the Cowboys to a 4-1 record early in the season while starter Dak Prescott was out with an injury. In those five starts, Rush completed 83-of-143 passes (58 percent) for 956 yards, five touchdowns, and three picks. The three-interception game came against the Eagles in Week 6. Now, the Eagles are one game away from playing in the Super Bowl.
Rush said “We’ll see what happens” when asked about his upcoming free agency. This will mark the first time Rush has ever gone through free agency, so it will be interesting what kind of offers he will receive. Surely, there will be a market for his services.
Now, he could very well return to the Cowboys, but should that not be the case, Cleveland would be wise to take a shot and try and land him. He could be the perfect backup to Watson, even if it’s only for the 2023 season.
No. 1: Gardner Minshew
Fans of the Cleveland Browns would absolutely love Gardner Minshew donning the orange and browns, which then would lead to overhyping his value, but I digress.
He would be an ideal fan favorite, but he could also serve as a good backup to Watson. He has been in the NFL for four seasons now, after being drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Washington State. He played his first two seasons in the Sunshine State, before spending the last two with the Eagles.
Minshew has played in 32 games in his career, making 24 starts, mostly with the Jags. For his career, he has thrown for 6,632 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions, while completing 62.8 percent of his passes. He also has two rushing touchdowns to his name.
Philadelphia has gone 1-3 in games where Minshew has started in place of Jalen Hurts, but that’s not really fair to Minshew, as the Philly offense is built around the skillset of Hurts and his offensive counterparts weren’t very good either. In Cleveland, he could come in as the backup to Watson and the offense wouldn’t really off beat too much. After all, the Browns still have Nick Chubb toting the rock out of the backfield.
Minshew is a guy who will give it his all while on the field while also getting the crowd behind him, especially if he were to play well. He’s a quarterback with starts under his belt and has shown he isn’t scared to sling the ball all over the field.
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