BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Bailey Zappe will be quarterback No. 4 and No. 40 for the Browns.
He was selected by coach Kevin Stefanski to start Saturday's season finale at Baltimore, making him the fourth quarterback to start this season and the 40th since Cleveland returned to the NFL as an expansion team in 1999.
Zappe was signed off Kansas City’s practice squad in October after Deshaun Watson ruptured his Achilles tendon. The 25-year-old will be making his ninth career start — he's 4-4 — after playing in eight games while with New England.
Earlier this week , Stefanski said he would likely play both Zappe and Dorian Thompson-Robinson against the Ravens (11-5), who will clinch the AFC North title if they take care of the Browns (3-13).
Stefanski informed both QBs of his decision at starter following Thursday's practice.
Last season, Stefanski was forced to start five quarterbacks because of injuries, and the Browns still made the playoffs. This season, he's already played Watson, Thompson-Robinson and Jameis Winston, who has been dealing with a sore right shoulder and is questionable this week.
Zappe’s start will continue an odd tradition of new QBs starting the season finale for Cleveland. In the past, Connor Shaw, Thaddeus Lewis, Bruce Gradkowski and Jeff Driskel are among a group of QBs who made their only starts for the Browns in the final week.
On Wednesday, Zappe said he was looking forward to his first playing time since getting to Cleveland.
“Obviously it’s a great opportunity,” he said. “Personally, I kind of look at it like I’m on a one-year deal here. I have no idea what the future holds for me, and it’s a great opportunity for me to go out there and play some football and get some film for people to watch. Hopefully it’s good film, but I’m excited for the opportunity.”
Zappe joked that playing for Patriots coach Bill Belichick prepared him perfectly for this week's uncertainty.
"I don’t know if he’s going to get mad, but I was in New England for two years and Bill kept everything secret,” Zappe said with a smile. “So sometimes I wouldn’t find out until Thursday night, Friday, like, ‘Hey, just so you know, you’re playing Sunday.’ So I’m used to it.
“I just prepare like I usually prepare whether I’m the three or the one, and that’s what he taught me whenever I was there. So I’m going to keep doing that.”
Thompson-Robinson will also get another chance to erase some ugly moments from the past two weeks.
The fifth-round draft pick competed just 54.3% of his passes while leading the Browns to just nine points in two losses. He threw three interceptions, fumbled twice and was flagged four times for intentional grounding.
He's spent the week working on fixing his mistakes and not worrying about how much he'll play. Thompson-Robinson had hoped to use the final three games as an audition to show the Browns he can be in the mix to be their starter in 2025.
"You don’t have time to sit and sob when it’s the last game of the year,” Thompson-Robinson said Wednesday. “So just coming in today, came in on Monday, still sticking to extra meetings, extra film, extra routes on air, still sticking to the same process that’s gotten me to this point and this offense, and not trying to steal away from that because of some outcomes.”
NOTES: The Browns will be without Pro Bowl CB Denzel Ward (shoulder), TE David Njoku (knee), RB Jerome Ford (ankle) and LB Jordan Hicks (concussion) for the season finale. ... The team took another step in plans to build a domed stadium by executing the clause to buy 176 acres of land in Brook Park, Ohio. The Browns announced in October they intend to leave their lakefront stadium when the leases expires after the 2028 season. Earlier this week, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb sent a letter to owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam saying the city plans to use the "Modell Law” to prevent the team from leaving. Under the law, the city or residents would have the opportunity to buy the team rather than allow it to move.
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FILE - Cleveland Browns quarterback Bailey Zappe (2) warms up before an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Cleveland, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
