Browns starting quarterback Josh McCown remained in concussion protocol Wednesday, with the Browns preparing Johnny Manziel as the starter for Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans. Coach Mike Pettine is also getting another quarterback ready to play.
Pettine said that new backup quarterback Austin Davis will also get some first-team reps this week.
"He'll be prepared," the coach told reporters on Wednesday.
This is largely out of necessity. Manziel is not fully healthy, and is resting his elbow during individual periods of practice. He's saving his arm for team sessions. Meanwhile, the earliest that McCown can practice is Friday.
After a fast start against the Jets, Manziel mostly struggled against New York. He admitted that he felt a little bit of "tightness" during his outing, but said it wasn't too bad. On Wednesday, Manziel told reporters his elbow felt better and that he "got every single throw I needed to (in practice)."
Still, it's an extremely rough start to the season for Cleveland's quarterback position with Davis having just joined the team last week.
The schedule makers seemed to do the Browns a favor by lining up the Jets, Titans, and Raiders in the first three weeks. It gives Cleveland a chance to quickly bounce back in its home opener this week. It also offers a chance to endure the most depressing start possible if they can't beat Marcus Mariota, the quarterback that many believed the Browns wanted to trade up for this offseason.
