Skip to content

Browns VP: Kessler 'not a guy I would sleep on' for starting QB job

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Browns waited until the third round of the 2016 draft to add another quarterback to the roster, but that doesn't mean Robert Griffin III is ensured the starting job.

Executive vice president Sashi Brown indicated Saturday that Cody Kessler is joining the team as much more than a year-one backup.

"I beg to differ with that,'' Brown said at his post-draft press conference, according to Mark Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. "I do think Cody is a guy that I would not want to sleep on at all if I wanted to be the starting quarterback of the Browns.

"He's going to come in serious ready to work. Robert has four years of NFL experience, is tremendously athletic and serious about becoming a starting quarterback in this league. There's no reason he can't, but this is going to be a competition.''

Head coach Hue Jackson also shared praise for the USC product following Friday's action. Responding to concerns about the club reaching to make the pick, Jackson appeared confident that he could get the most out of Kessler's ability.

"I understand where everybody's coming from, but you've got to trust me on this one," Jackson said, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. "This is a guy that we feel very comfortable with, and we feel he's going to have an opportunity to ascend."

Kessler was a productive player across his three seasons as a starter at USC, completing 67.5 percent of his passes for 10,339 yards, 88 touchdowns, and just 19 interceptions.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox