The good performance of Dorian Thompson-Robinson throughout the preseason, especially in the entertaining 37–33 loss to the Seahawks at Seattle on Saturday night in the finale, has most everybody wondering if he might end up being the Browns‘ No. 2 quarterback at some point soon, possibly even heading into the regular season.

But there may be way, way, way more in play here than just that.

Starter Deshaun Watson did not play once again, meaning he sat out all three games of the preseason. He says he has “a little soreness” in his throwing shoulder. The Browns claim Watson is otherwise fine overall, though, and will be ready for the regular-season opener against the Dallas Cowboys in Cleveland in a little less than two weeks.

I am dubious of that. Your shoulder is either sore or it’s not. It’s like being pregnant. There is no such thing as being a little pregnant.

Because of injuries during both seasons with the Browns, and that lengthy 11-game suspension handed down by the NFL in 2022, Watson has not played much. I don’t think he’s healthy yet, and I think he could be seriously hurt the first time he gets dumped hard onto shoulder on which he had surgery last year. 

Having said that, then, I can see a scenario — and I don’t have to look very hard to find it — in which Watson gets hurt again early in the season and doesn’t return. I firmly believe that he is fragile.

If that happens — or, I should probably say, when it happens — then the Browns are going to have to find their 2024 version of what Joe Flacco was last year down the stretch, and that is lightning in the bottle. Based on what we’ve seen of DTR this preseason, he is — by far; it isn’t even close — the best candidate to be that guy. It certainly doesn’t appear to be the either of the two other quarterbacks, Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley.

Steve King