Jeff Driskel will be the fifth quarterback to start a game for the Browns this year when he lines up behind center for the club in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Bengals.
Driskel, 30, just signed with Cleveland off of Arizona’s practice squad last Friday. But because Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing was on the Browns’ staff from 2020-2022, Driskel is plenty familiar with Cleveland’s offensive scheme.
“Yeah, I mean, as much as one offense to another, there’s probably not a much smoother transition, terminology wise,” Driskel said in his Thursday press conference. “Obviously, [there’s] somebody else calling it, new guys around you. The bigger thing has been getting to know my teammates more than getting to know the system, which I think is a good thing.”
Still, changing teams this late in the season can be a tough thing for any player, let alone a quarterback.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen,” Driskel said. “When you get an opportunity to get on a 53 man roster, you take it. That’s typically the fastest path to the field, and that’s what my thought process was. So came here, had a chance to get on a 53 and looking forward to the opportunity on Sunday.”
Driskel has appeared in 23 games with 10 starts at quarterback, compiling a 1-9 record. He hasn’t won a game since 2018 when he received his first regular-season playing time with Cincinnati.
He’s completed 59 percent of his career passes for 2,228 yards with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
