Browns QB targets: Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Joe Flacco top list of Deshaun Watson replacements

The Cleveland Browns took on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season. After an injury to Deshaun Watson, the Browns found themselves in familiar territory, desperately looking for a replacement at quarterback.

Cleveland dealt with similar issues last season With Watson's shoulder sidelining him down the season's stretch, backups P.J. Walker and Dorian Thompson-Robinson were forced into action. That didn't go well as Walker also got hurt and Thompson-Robinson showed he wasn't quite ready. Cleveland then signed Joe Flacco, who had a career resurgence and led them to the playoffs.

In Week 7 against Cincinnati, Watson went down again. He instantly started grabbing at his heel. Watson was carted off the field, and later ruled out with an Achilles injury. Thompson-Robinson took over under center.

In his post game press conference, head coach Kevin Stefanski said that they are expecting Watson's injury to be season-ending, but they are going to wait for tests to confirm it. He did confirm it was an Achilles injury for the starter.

If Watson is sidelined multiple weeks due to the injury, here are the top options to replace him under center for Cleveland as the Browns try to turn their season around.

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Browns QB options: Top QBs who could replace Deshaun Watson

Dorian Thompson-Robinson

For most of the 2024 season, Jameis Winston served as Watson's backup quarterback. Fans clamored for Winston when Watson struggled, but a quarterback switch was never made while both players were healthy. In Week 7, however, Winston was listed as the third quarterback. He was inactive for the contest and could only enter the game if both Winston and Thompson-Robinson got hurt.

Thompson-Robinson stepped into the No. 2 role. While that position hadn't been a factor in the first six weeks of the season, Watson's injury pushed Thompson-Robinson into the game. DTR showed off his dual-threat abilities, breaking off a 34-yard run, but he struggled with his accuracy. Thompson-Robinson also hurt his finger and was unable to finish the game. He actually finished the game as the team's leading rusher.

Thompson-Robinson started three games as a rookie in 2023. He started Week 4 against the Ravens, then didn't start again until Week 11 against the Steelers. Thompson-Robinson's last start was against the Broncos in Week 12 before Cleveland turned to Flacco in Week 13 against the Rams.

Given that Thompson-Robinson was used as the No. 2 option in Week 7, he's the likeliest candidate to replace Watson as the team's starter. Thompson-Robinson also got hurt late in Week 7, so it's possible he will need to be replaced ahead of Week 8.

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Jameis Winston

Winston was signed to a one-year, $4 million deal in the offseason. This kind of money shows little confidence his ability. When Sam Darnold was signed to a one-year deal by the Minnesota Vikings, it was a $10 million deal to likely back up whatever rookie Minnesota took in the draft.

Still, with Watson struggling, fans have been begging for Winston to get some playing time. When the starter went down with his Achilles injury, Winston would have gotten his chance but was seemingly demoted to the third-string quarterback position behind Thompson-Robinson ahead of Week 7.

We don't know why Winston was dropped to the third string. Cleveland could have been hoping to shop him around to quarterback-needy teams like the Titans and  Raiders before Watson's injury.

Thompson-Robinson got hurt late in Week 7, however, pushing Winston into the game. It's possible the injuries to Watson and Thompson-Robinson elevate Winston into a starting role. Winston was able to find the endzone, connecting with tight end David Njoku late in the fourth-quarter.

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Ryan Tannehill

If Cleveland wants to turn their attention to the free agent pool of quarterbacks like they did with Flacco last year, Tannehill is their likeliest option. His name was floated around when Jordan Love looked like he had suffered a serious injury. Love returned earlier than anticipated, so the Packers didn't need to make a move at quarterback.

Tannehill was most recently with the Titans, but was benched in favor of then-rookie Will Levis. He was not brought in by another team for the 2024 season but has said that he is ready to join a team if it is the right fit.

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Joe Flacco

Who doesn't love a reunion? Flacco's career resurgence with Cleveland at the end of 2023 led him to decide to push his retirement from the sport back. Flacco wanted to stay with the Browns, but they brought Winston in as a free agent. Flacco then signed with the Colts to back up the oft-injured Anthony Richardson on a one-year, $8.7 million contract.

Flacco has looked better than Richardson when filling in for the starter this season, but Indy continues going back to the second-year, dual-threat quarterback. It isn't a likely move, but if Indianapolis is just going to have Flacco as a safety net, Cleveland could trade a late-round pick for Flacco assuming the Colts are willing to trade him. It might not be a likely move, but it would be a fun reunion.