The Cleveland Browns quarterback dilemma is...less than ideal. Deshaun Watson is firmly entrenched as the starter, and the Browns are paying him like one the best pure passiers in football.
The last time Watson played a full season was 2020. He missed the 2021 campaign, and was suspended for the first 10 games of the 2022 league year. Watson was accused of sexual assault during his time with the Texans, and despite 26 allegations, Cleveland traded for him and made Watson (at the time) the richest QB in the NFL.
While Jacoby Brissett played admirably in steed of Watson last season, he left for the Washington Commanders this offseason. In his place, Kellen Mond and Josh Dobbs battled for the backup spot. That didn't go well for Mond, who was released on Thursday.
Kellen Mond's tenure with Browns didn't go according to plan
Kellen Mond was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, with some even suggesting he could threaten Kirk Cousins for the starting job. However, Mond never lived up to his potential, and even drew the ire of then-head coach Mike Zimmer. As it turns out, Zimmer may have been right about Mond all along.
In 2022, Zimmer was asked if he'd play Mond in a relatively meaningless regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears. His response was cold as ice.
"Not particularly," Zimmer said. "I see him every day."
That comment caught Vikings fans off-guard, especially those who wanted to see Mond play against a starting NFL defense. Zimmer did eventually clarify what he meant.
"I just meant [Mond] is the third-team quarterback," said Zimmer. "I mean, he's improved. He's improved throughout the year. He's got a chance to be a good player, but he's third on the depth chart. So I kind of knew that. …You guys ask me those questions 10 minutes after the game, too. So that's part of it as well."
Were the Vikings and Mike Zimmer right about Kellen Mond?
There were some questions about Kellen Mond's arm talent coming out of college, which is likely why he fell to the third round to begin with. Still, Zimmer and the Vikings seemed to believe they could develop Mond and help his mechanics. But every time Mond saw significant game action in the preseason, it didn't end well. That continued this training camp in Cleveland, where Mond proved he can't be a serviceable backup for Watson. Instead, that job will go to Josh Dobbs.
Fan favorite Dorian Thompson-Robinson will be the third string QB.
