First Preseason Game Not Direct Indicator for Regular Season

The Browns’ first preseason game is Thursday, and Brock Osweiler has been named the starting quarterback.  But it’s no guarantee he’s won the regular season job.

The Browns currently have a 90-man roster, and must have it down to 53 by the end of the preseason. The first two games are prime field time for players on the bubble to make their case for staying, with players in a competition getting true game reps, while the third game is often considered the “dress rehearsal” for the season.

For these first two games, head coach Hue Jackson will likely be looking at how Osweiler and others are picking up the playbook and developing chemistry with other teammates.

Osweiler won’t be the only player that Jackson is looking at, though. He said he hopes that each quarterback will get to see some play time.

“The rotation will be Brock will go first, Cody (Kessler) will go second, DeShone (Kizer) will go third,” Jackson said. “I’d love to get Kevin (Hogan) some snaps, but again, I want those other two young guys to play a lot of football if they can.”

Jackson said earlier this week that nothing has been decided past this game.

“I don’t think anything’s really over right now,” he said. “DeShone is progressing, Cody’s progressing. I gotta get them more snaps in a game of playing, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Before being named the starter for Thursday night’s game, Osweiler had not taken any snaps with the first-team offense, and Kizer garnered a lot of attention as the team’s possible starter. Kessler was named starter at the beginning of the offseason, but has been lackluster through this point in training camp.

For a team that has struggled at the quarterback position since its return to the league in 1999, the Browns now have a plethora of options to choose from.

Cleveland’s preseason kicks off against the New Orleans Saints Thursday night at First Energy Stadium.