BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns fans woke up Wednesday morning to the news that quarterback Deshaun Watson will be out of action for the remainder of the season after sustaining a shoulder fracture during Sunday's win in Baltimore.
So where does that leave the Browns at the QB position?
At a press conference on Wednesday morning, General Manager and Executive Vice President Andrew Berry stated that the team has "faith" in its quarterback room which currently consists of P.J. Walker and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
However, Berry added that the Browns do plan to carry three quarterbacks between the active roster and the practice squad, meaning someone will be picked up.
Should the Browns want to sign a veteran QB off the street, who might be available? Here's a list of potential candidates:
Nick Foles
It should not go unnoticed that Berry specifically mentioned Philadelphia's run to a Super Bowl win in 2017 with a backup quarterback when asked why Browns fans should still have hope for this year. The backup quarterback on that team? Nick Foles.
Foles rode to the rescue for the Eagles after Carson Wentz went down with a season-ending knee injury, ultimately completing 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns in Super Bowl LII. He was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
The 34-year-old Foles has started 58 games in his career, completing 62% of his passes with 82 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. He played in three games for the Indianapolis Colts last year.
Joe Flacco
The 38-year-old is also a former Super Bowl MVP, having led the Ravens to the title in 2012. After a successful run in Baltimore, Flacco spent a year in Denver, then three seasons with the Jets. He is 1-8 as a starting quarterback since leaving the Ravens. Wanna guess the one team he beat? Yup, the Browns.
Matt Ryan
The former NFL MVP left the field for the broadcast booth after the 2022 season. However, he has not retired and seems to be open to returning to playing in the right situation. The 38-year-old spent last season in Indianapolis after playing his first 14 season with the Atlanta Falcons. Last year, Ryan was 4-7-1 as a starter, completing 67% of his passes for 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Colt McCoy
Remember him? McCoy spent the first three years of his NFL career with the Browns, then went on to become a serviceable backup quarterback with Washington, the Giants, and Arizona. Last season with the Cardinals, McCoy played in four games, starting three. He completed 68% of his passes for 780 yards with a touchdown and three picks. McCoy is now 37 years old.
Tom Brady
Do I even need to mention his resume? While it's highly doubtful that the 46-year-old would come back to the NFL, don't you at least have to make the call?
One more name to consider is Trevor Siemian, who is currently on the New York Jets' practice squad. Siemian is 31 years old and has made 30 career NFL starts. What might stand out most in his background is the fact that he was part of the Minnesota Vikings in 2018, whose quarterbacks coach was a guy named Kevin Stefanski.