The Cleveland Browns entered the offseason last in the quarterback carousel, recognizing they would likely be the least desirable landing spot for a veteran signal-caller. As the dominoes start to fall, it appears Cleveland is pivoting to a fallback plan if it misses out on its top choices.
At the start of the offseason, NFL rumors heavily pointed toward Kirk Cousins becoming the Browns starting quarterback in 2025. However, the Atlanta Falcons are keeping Cousins past the deadline to move him before he is owed a $10 million roster bonus. With the club seemingly committed to rostering Cousins as a high-paid backup, Cleveland has been forced to explore alternatives.
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It’s one of the reasons why the Browns brought in Russell Wilson for a visit this past week. With the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants focused on Aaron Rodgers, Wilson is exploring other options. The visit went well, but Wilson might not be an option for much longer.
Rodgers is believed to be deciding between the Steelers and Minnesota Vikings. If that’s the case, New York could move forward with Wilson as its starting quarterback next season. With that option becoming a reality, there’s a new option on Cleveland’s radar.
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Appearing on Saturday’s SportsCenter, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported that there’s mutual interest between the Browns and free-agent quarterback Carson Wentz.
- Carson Wentz stats (2022-’24): 3-6 record, 63% completion rate, 13-10 TD-INT, 81.7 QB rating
Wentz, age 32, made one start for the Kansas City Chiefs last season and has appeared in just five games over the last two seasons. During that two-year stretch as a backup with the Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams, Wentz posted a 2-1 TD-INT line with a 91.3 QB rating on 43 pass attempts.
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If signed, Wentz would get to compete with Kenny Pickett to be the Browns starting quarterback in Week 1. Cleveland would also likely take a quarterback early in the 2025 NFL Draft, but there’s a growing expectation that Cam Ward will be the first pick and Shedeur Sanders is not currently viewed as a top-10 prospect.