It has always been simply a matter of time before the Cleveland Browns elevated quarterback Baker Mayfield to the starter’s role.
Heading into the regular season the team made the right call in letting veteran Tyrod Taylor open the season as the starter. No one wanted to see a repeat of the 2017 season when head coach Hue Jackson mismanaged the situation and Taylor was the safe choice for a team coming off an historic two-year run of futility.
It was clear that Taylor would be the starter unless he was injured or became ineffective, and both of those criteria intersected on Thursday night against the New York Jets.