Browns QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson starting Week 16 vs. Bengals over demoted Jameis Winston: He’s ‘prepared’

The Cleveland Browns are making a quarterback change for Sunday’s Week 16 game against the Cincinnati Bengals as Jameis Winston has been officially benched in favor for Dorian Thompson-Robinson, head coach Kevin Stefanski announced on Wednesday.

Stefanski praised DTR’s willingness to adapt, noting that aspects of the quarterback position, including calling the plays in the huddle, have changed since the 23-year-old arrived on the team in 2023. 

“He’s done a very, very good job of getting up to speed on all the nuance of the position,” Stefanski said of his new starter. “He’s done a very good job of keeping himself prepared for when a moment comes that he’s being put in there. So he’s really taken to the preparation part of this really well.”

Stefanski discussed the notion of a quarterback change after Cleveland’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, in which Winston threw three interceptions and finished 16 of 25 passing for 146 yards (40.2 rating). 

“I think with any decision, you take everything into consideration, certainly,” Stefanski said Monday. “So, we need to work through all those types of things, but ultimately we want to do what’s best for the team.

“Whether it’s the quarterback position, it’s really any position. Constantly trying to do what I feel like is best for the team for right now, for this week, for Cincinnati. That’s really where our focus is.”

The Browns are 2-5 in Winston’s seven starts, as Winston has completed 61.1% of his passes for 2,123 yards with 13 touchdowns to 12 interceptions (80.6 rating). Winston has eight interceptions over his past three games, all losses. 

Thompson-Robinson had a package of plays designed for him last week, as he went 4 of 9 for 18 yards with an interception. The 2023 fifth-round pick has made three career starts for the Browns in his two seasons.

“I’d tell you, Dorian, like a lot of young players, continues to use all of his reps that he gets to make himself better,” Stefanski said. “I mean, I think when you’re running the scout team cards, those are great opportunities to get better. You’re not running your plays per se, but these plays are so similar, so you can take yourself through a rep or a concept that you can get better at. 

“And then in terms of just individual, just seeing a guy that takes coaching, takes the individual period into what he’s doing in practice. So, I see a lot of growth from Dorian and from all of our young players.”