Browns' Future at QB Should be Painfully Obvious

The Cleveland Browns' future at quarterback became even more obvious after their Week 14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Dec 8, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (5) passes the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Jameis Winston is a terrific teammate. He is very talented. And sometimes, you see flashes of why he was a former No. 1 overall pick.

But it's becoming increasingly obvious that he is not the long-term answer at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.

Winston's Jekyll-and-Hyde skillset was on full display against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon, as he threw a pair of touchdown passes while also coughing up a couple of interceptions in the Browns' 27-14 loss.

Winston giveth, and Winston taketh away.

Such has been the story for the Florida State product throughout his NFL career. Heck, during his final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019, Winston became the first quarterback in league history to throw 30 touchdowns and 30 picks in the same campaign. And here's the real kicker: he also led the NFL with 5,109 passing yards that year.

At this point, a decade into his professional career, Winston is what he is: a great backup who can make spot starts, but not someone you want as your everyday signal-caller.

Cleveland fell to just 3-10 with its loss to the Steelers and finds itself in a great position to potentially select a siganl-caller in the 2025 NFL Draft.

And that is exactly what the Browns should do.

Yes, Cleveland has other needs. It must address its weakness at offensive tackle. It also could use more weapons, and it even requires some help defensively.

But the primary area of concern for the Browns is under center, and relying on a 30-year-old journeyman—one who turns 31 in January—is not the proper solution.

That doesn't mean Cleveland can't keep Winston around. He seems to be enjoying his stay in Ohio, and perhaps he can stick around to mentor a rookie quarterback.

However, the Browns should absolutely not have any plans with moving forward with Winston as their quarterback for the long haul. It's painfully obvious that he isn't the answer.