Reigning Heisman winner Baker Mayfield had himself one heck of an NFL preseason debut last week against the New York Giants.
The rookie No. 1 pick threw for 212 yards with two touchdowns (watch here and here) while awing onlookers in the process. Meanwhile, veteran backup signal caller Drew Stanton didn’t even see the field.
In no way does this mean that Mayfield is guaranteed to be the Cleveland Browns’ No. 2 quarterback behind starter Tyrod Taylor once Week 1 comes calling.
Heck, Browns head coach Hue Jackson seems to be leaning in the direction of Stanton being Taylor’s primary backup — leading to Mayfield potentially being inactive on Sundays.
“I’ve said from the beginning that I think experience is important,” Jackson said Wednesday, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “Right now, Drew still has that experience, and we’ll see how that all unfolds as we go. I haven’t made that choice just yet, but his veteran presence says a lot. He’ played in a lot of games against a lot of teams that we are going to start off against and play against so I think that is important to definitely consider.”
Jackson went on to say that he’d like to see Stanton get some reps during the preseason. That could include extensive playing time Friday evening against the Buffalo Bills.
Signed as a free agent from the Arizona Cardinals this past spring, Stanton does provide the experience Jackson seeks at quarterback. He’s started 13 games over the past four seasons.
Even then, it’s hard to see the Browns holding Mayfield back too much when it comes to their regular season depth chart. Only time will tell on that front.