Fans in Cleveland maybe can be forgiven if they hope that QB Deshaun Watson’s suspension ends up being more than 6 games after a rather dismal outing in the Browns’ pre-season opening win over Jacksonville. Watson was suspended for the first 6 games of the year by an arbitrator earlier this month, but could be out longer as the NFL, which reportedly wants a full-year ban, has appealed. Watson did start the Browns’ pre-season opener against Jacksonville, but completed just one of 5 passes for only 7 yards. While Watson and the Browns wait for word on the appeal, there are rumors around the league that the two parties may agree on a compromise solution which would see the suspension extended to 8 or even ten games with Watson also paying a big fine. The problem for the league is that while they are expected to win the appeal, after all they picked the adjudicator, Watson and the NFLPA can still appeal through the courts which could drag the whole process out through the season and beyond.
It is supposed to take rookie QBs a little time to get up to speed when they enter the NFL, but somebody forgot to tell Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett. Pickett, the only QB selected in this year’s opening round, completed 13 of 15 passes for 95 yards and two scores in the Steelers’ pre-season win over Seattle. The one caveat is that Pickett played most of his snaps against the Seattle scrubs as he is technically the Steelers #3 QB behind Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph. Indeed, it will be interesting to see if Pickett gets any more serious minutes in the Steelers final two pre-season games.
For the most part, though, it was kind of a mixed bag for QBs selected at the 2022 draft. Tennessee’s Malik Willis, for example, did generate some excitement as he ran 5 times for 38 yards including a TD scamper, but he ultimately got pulled from the game because he was running too much. For the night, Willis, who some thought could goes within the first 5 picks this year, but wasn’t actually selected until the 3r round, hit on 6 of 11 passes for 107 yards and was sacked a couple of times. Elsewhere, Atlanta’s Desmond Ridder had a couple of TD passes and ran for 59 yards in the Falcons’ win in Detroit, but completed just 10 of 22 passes, while Washington’s Sam Howell threw for 145 yards in a win over Carolina, but was only 9 of 16 passes. On the other hand, the Panthers’ Matt Corral had one of those ‘maybe shoudda stood in bed’ outings in that game as he completed just one of 9 passes. Fortunately, there is always next week!
Meanwhile, any Panthers’ fans looking for a little clarity from the battle for the team’s #1 QB slot between reclamation projects Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold didn’t get much as Mayfield only threw 7 passes, while Darnold had just three. The ‘battle’ may in fact go right down to the wire, although the feeling around the league is that its Mayfield’s job to lose if he somehow can’t get the playbook down before the start of the regular season.
For the record, there also isn’t much clarity in the league’s other ‘great’ QB battle in Seattle where by all accounts Drew Lock has had the better training camp, but the Seahawks appear to be sticking with veteran Geno Smith, who may give them the better shot at the #1 pick at the 2023 draft. Just saying!! Meanwhile, folks are breathing a little easier in New York as Zach Wilson, the Jets’ second-year QB ‘only’ injured an MCL in their win over Philadelphia, but they aren’t quite ready to exhale just yet. Wislon is on his way to LA where he’ll undergo athroscopic surgery on Tuesday to confirm the diagnosis. There were originally fears that Wilson, the second player selected at the 2021 draft, had perhaps torn an ACL which almost assuredly would have cost him the season and if as hoped by the Jets, the injury only requires some clean-up surgery he could be back literally before the start of the regular season. If Wilson does miss any time, he’ll be replaced by veteran back-up Joe Flacco.
