The quarterback saga in Cleveland has undoubtedly been the biggest Browns storyline this season. Even though how much longer Joe Flacco will keep the starting spot remains the talk of the town, QB uncertainty is nothing new for Browns fans. Ever since the team made the unforgivable mistake of signing Deshaun Watson, the Browns have had a long list of underwhelming signal-callers to step in and start in his stead. One of those was former UCLA standout Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Thompson-Robinson's career started with a ton of promise after being selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He quickly took over as the backup as a rookie after a stellar training camp and preseason. That period, however, remains the best stretch of DTR's career so far, as he has failed to live up to that early hype.
Since leaving Cleveland for Philadelphia as part of the Kenny Pickett trade earlier in the 2025 offseason, Thompson-Robinson has been searching for a new opportunity. His Eagles tenure didn't last very long as he was waived before the season. Over the last week, he has been participating in workouts around the league, but nothing has materialized so far.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson Struggles to Land a New QB Job
NFL insider Jonathan Jones reported that the Minnesota Vikings had a workout with Thompson-Robinson this week but elected to sign fellow free agent QB Desmond Ridder instead. The fact that he is losing competition to Ridder is not a good sign, especially when it comes on the heels of another unsuccessful visit with a different NFC North team on Monday. It was reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network that DTR had worked out with the Green Bay Packers, but no signing was announced.
Fortunately for the 25-year-old signal-caller, there will be plenty of QB-needy teams throughout the gauntlet of the NFL season. We have already seen the likes of Brock Purdy, Joe Burrow, and J.J. McCarthy suffering injuries that have either forced or will force them to miss games. The 49ers didn't make a corresponding move, while the Bengals signed Mike White and Sean Clifford, and the Vikings signed Ridder. None of these teams signing Thompson-Robinson in their time of need paints a bleak picture for the former Browns QB, but the season is long, and there will be more opportunities.
That next opportunity will likely be one of the final chances DTR will have to revive his declining career. Otherwise, he is headed towards falling out of the NFL entirely.