McCown stayed in Sunday’s 25-20 loss to Baltimore despite getting hurt in the first quarter and taking several hard shots. And understanding that I don’t want to miss snaps.
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The scene was reminiscent of last season, when McCown tried to play through broken ribs.
“I don’t want to be out there without my guys”, McCown said, according to the Browns’ site. “Here we go. Here we go”.
Kessler acknowledged that Jackson didn’t exactly tell him yet that he’s starting. Both injured their left shoulder, which puts Kessler on the field Sunday against Miami.
“I have nothing to prove”, he said. And I got two little boys that – they’re playing football now – and they get hit and they get banged up and I’m trying to teach them what toughness means.
Jackson was reluctant to name Kessler the starter, initially saying “there’s a good chance” he’ll do so. He said the 37-year-old will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. But Sunday’s game did have some positives that can be looked at as progress for a team not expected to do well this season, regardless of who lines up at quarterback.
“Josh is going to be out this week, but Josh will be week to week from there on”, Jackson said.
“I don’t know if it’ll stunt his growth”. I don’t think that, but I know that there’s something that’s not right. “I got more reps last week instead of running the scout team all the time”.
Cody Kessler will likely become the 26th quarterback to start for the franchise since it re-emerged in 1999.
Jackson did not provide any specifics about the injury to McCown, who displayed toughness by staying in the game and absorbing several big hits while almost leading the Browns (0-2) to a comeback win.
On Monday night, the Browns gave Jackson another option and added experience to their quarterback position by agreeing to sign free agent veteran Charlie Whitehurst. Somebody is going to play under center there or we are going to get in the single wing, one or the other. Sometimes, things just do not go your way. The long list of starting quarterbacks in Cleveland includes a current National Football League head coach, several first-round draft busts, veterans who came to Cleveland at the ends of their careers, young quarterbacks who later had more success elsewhere, and both McCown brothers.
First there was Robert Griffin III, a big-name acquisition during the off-season who broke a bone in his left shoulder in the season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
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Kessler worked as the scout team quarterback when Griffin and McCown were healthy.
