One former Cleveland Browns quarterback makes for the perfect backup

The Cleveland Browns would be wise to bring back Brian Hoyer.

The Cleveland Browns have lost their last two backup QBs over the last two years when Case Keenum and Jacoby Brissett were both allowed to walk in free agency, making quarterback a surprising need for the team in 2023. Deshaun Watson is the clear starter but lingering legal issues, poor mobility in 2022 (for him), and a history of knee issues make a backup quarterback very important for the Browns. The Browns can’t afford to go into 2023 with someone like Kellen Mond as the team’s backup.

He might be the next great quarterback for all we know, but we don’t, and because we don’t know what Mond could be, the focus should be getting experienced players whose ceiling and floor are obvious. Brian Hoyer is one of those guys.

He’s not really a starter at this point in his career and he was barely ever one even in his first stint with the Cleveland Browns, but he’s still a viable option to play a few games and get you a few wins. Hoyer just got released by the New England Patriots, and his return to the Browns would do wonders for the health of the quarterback position heading into the 2023 season.

Should Watson miss time for whatever reason, Hoyer has a better chance of leading the team to wins than Mond.

Kellen Mond may not be the answer as a backup

A lot of people really like Mond coming to Cleveland. He was a third-round pick for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 and was released in 2022 when the Browns picked him up. A lot of people raved about his potential and the thought by some was that he could be molded into a viable quarterback option.

The problem is, 3rd round picks don’t get released in year two of their careers for no reason. It’s either due to him being very bad at his job or being very bad in and out of the locker room. It’s important to realize guys don’t get cut for no reason, and that reason should always be heavily investigated.

Mond is likely not the answer at quarterback for the Browns as they look for a backup, so going out to get Hoyer makes all the sense in the world. If there’s hope for Mond, they can keep him on the practice squad.

Hoyer makes for a better backup for the 2023 season.