Cody Kessler should finish the season as the starter
The Cleveland Browns have named rookie Cody Kessler the starting quarterback for this Sunday’s game. Kessler will likely remain in the role moving forward.
The Cleveland Browns have had problems at the quarterback position for far too long, but the current starter seems to be holding his own, at least so far.
Cody Kessler, who has started the past four games at quarterback for the Browns, will once again be the starter for this Sunday’s matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
#Browns Hue Jax says McCown (collarbone) not cleared and "Cody Kessler is our starter.''
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) October 17, 2016
Hue Jackson does not have much of a choice considering Josh McCown is out, but even if the veteran was healthy, Kessler deserves to be the starter.
While it would be nice if Kessler was leading the team to wins, he has played well enough in his first four starts to give the team a chance to win. The only blowout loss came against the New England Patriots, when he left early after suffering a rib injury.
His latest performance saw him finish Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans with 336 yards and two touchdowns, putting the team in a position for a comeback victory. That was not the case, but his talent kept the team in the game all the way until the end.
But while his stats are nice, keeping him in as the starter is much more beneficial to his career than that of McCown. The veteran gives it all he has, but his career is coming to an end. With this team being in a rebuilding phase, giving a rookie quarterback a shot, and one who has proven he can run an NFL offense, is the best option.
There is no need to rush McCown back when his collarbone isn’t healed. There is also his 1-8 record as a starter for the Browns, meaning his presence may not lead to much better results.
Kessler may not be the quarterback fans wanted the team to take in the draft, but he has proven to be a solid choice. He’s no Carson Wentz, but he looks better than any other quarterbacks the Browns have selected in the past decade.
So if he can remain healthy, which is a big “if” this season, Kessler should be the starter for the remainder of the season. Let McCown be a mentor and stay healthy on the sidelines, and inform Robert Griffin III that he can compete for the starting job next season.
At 0-6, the Browns have to make the best of the current situation in order to finally pick up a win. And having Kessler as the quarterback will help give some stability to this young team that is in danger of losing confidence heading into the latter half of the season.
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