If we can say one thing about new Cleveland Browns quarterback DeShone Kizer, let it be this. He’s drawing some lofty comparisons.
On Thursday, Kizer’s new coach Hue Jackson was speaking Cleveland Browns Daily on WKNR 950 AM. He strongly implied that Kizer’s skills remind him of Ben Roethlisberger.
“I don’t know that I’ve coached a guy with this kind of skill set. But he’s a big powerful man, so I know he’s going to get compared to another guy on another team in our division,” he said, as transcribed by Mary Kay Cabot, Cleveland.com. “I’m not going to talk about that guy (but he will be compared) because he’s that big and he has that kind of arm. He’s very mobile. So again, I don’t like to compare players and I know people will, but he’s got to come in and do what he can do and be the best version of him and that’s what we’re going to allow him to do.”
Jackson may not want to talk about him but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Big Ben is “that guy.”
Normally we might point out that it’s not wise for a coach to give a completely unproven player such a grand comparison. But given that Kizer compared himself to Tom Brady and Cam Newton and later doubled down before he was even drafted, we can let Jackson slide.
Cleveland general manager Sashi Brown has said that “we don’t have to rush it,” relating to getting Kizer onto the field. That may be true. But given the consistent futility that the Browns have dealt with at the quarterback position over the years, playing someone who reminds people of Roetlisberger may not be a bad idea.
If Kizer shows that form, he’ll likely be on the field at some point in the 2017 season.