DeShone Kizer to Start Saturday for Browns
Browns head coach Hue Jackson has announced that rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer will start Saturday's preseason game against the Buccaneers. Browns
Browns head coach Hue Jackson has announced that rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer will start Saturday’s preseason game against the Buccaneers.
Browns rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer is set to start Saturday’s preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over veteran Brock Osweiler.
Cleveland head coach Hue Jackson expressed in a statement Wednesday that it might not be the last time Kizer starts, saying he’s “certainly positioning himself well to earn the starting job heading into the regular season.”
“I think he’s trending in the right direction with our offensive football team,” Jackson told reporters Wednesday. “Let’s give him a chance to go play and let’s see if he can show and demonstrate those characteristics to the rest of our team — the staff and the organization.”
But that leaves Brock Osweiler sidelined, despite being due a guaranteed salary of $16 million for 2017. ESPN has reported that the Browns have renewed their interest in trading Osweiler, but the trade talk hasn’t seemed to faze him.
“I’ve told you guys all along, I’m always going to just focus on the things that I can control,” Osweiler told ESPN. “Right now, that’s being a great teammate, that’s continuing to prepare, be a pro, stay in the playbook and continue to strive to be a better player every day.
“Our general manager and our head coach, they decide who plays and how much they play. As players, all we can do is make the most of the opportunity.”
Osweiler has a 13-8 record as an NFL starter and has racked up 26 touchdowns with 22 interceptions over the past three seasons. If Kizer gets the starting nod in Week 1, he’ll become the Browns’ 27th starting quarterback since 1999.
Cleveland opens their regular season on Sunday, Sept. 10 against the Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium.
