The Cleveland Browns have some uncertainty as they returned from the bye week. They have a huge game against the undefeated San Francisco 49ers, and it's unknown if Deshaun Watson will be playing in the game. That's because he is dealing with a rotator cuff contusion and is considered day-to-day.
Watson notably missed the team's Week 4 game against the Baltimore Ravens, which was announced right before kickoff. That meant Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski had to pivot, and he called upon rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Nearly two weeks after that game, Thompson-Robinson spoke to reporters and revealed that he wasn't aware he would start the game until 10:30 a.m. that Sunday. That's right. A matter of hours before kickoff.
Browns: Dorian Thompson-Robinson says he didn't know he'd start Week 4 until hours before kickoff
While Watson didn't play, there was hope that he would play that week. It would all come down to how he felt during a pregame warmup. During said preparation before the game, Watson determined that he wouldn't be able to play adequately enough and opted to sit out. With that, Thompson-Robinson got to make his first official NFL start.
It wasn't an ideal first start for Thompson-Robinson, who took the league by storm with his play throughout the preseason. Thompson-Robinson completed 19-of-36 pass attempts for 121 yards and zero touchdowns while throwing three interceptions in the 28-3 loss.
With Watson's status up in the air for Week 6 now that he hasn't practiced on Wednesday, there is an idea of who would get the start. Head coach Kevin Stefanski revealed that P.J. Walker will be the backup to Watson. Thompson-Robinson will be the QB3 on the depth chart.
Thompson-Robinson's first game didn't look great, as he didn't know he was starting until hours before the start of it. There will be other starts down the road for the rookie, maybe he'll get advanced notice next time.
