The Cleveland Browns have waived wide receiver and special teams contributor Jaelon Darden ahead of a matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Darden has appeared in seven games this season and has been up and down between the practice squad and active roster multiple times. He has just one catch as a receiver this season but has been a contributor on special teams. Darden has returned 22 punts this season for 234 yards and has also been a kick returner.
With the open roster spot, the Browns brought back quarterback Bailey Zappe to the active roster, who was released ahead of the team’s matchup with the Denver Broncos. He’ll serve as the third, likely emergency quarterback behind Jameis Winston and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Zappe was a fourth-round pick of the Patriots in 2022 and made a name for himself in New England. He compiled a 4-4 record as a starter over two seasons, appearing in 14 games overall. The 25-year-old quarterback has thrown for 2,053 yards, with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
The Browns initially signed Zappe to the active roster on Oct. 22, giving the team some insurance with Dorian Thompson-Robinson dealing with a finger injury and Deshaun Watson out for the year. Zappe has not appeared in any games with the Browns.
Browns QB Jameis Winston Looking to Limit Turnovers
The Browns are expected to roll with Winston as their starter moving forward despite his three-interception performance against the Broncos. While the interceptions — two returned for touchdowns — were rough, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski also saw Winston do some really good things.
Winston finished his day against the Broncos with a franchise single-game record of 497 yards and four touchdowns.
“We threw the ball a lot, so there were a lot of opportunities and obviously extremely productive in the past game with a ton of yards. Certainly, he wants to take care of the football in those moments,” Stefanski said of Winston, who attempted 58 passes. “You’re not going to play perfect at the quarterback position, he knows that, I know that. Ultimately, he wants to do anything in his power to help this team win, and that’s going to be taking care of the ball. But he also had moments there where he was moving that offense and did a nice job.”
Jameis Winston Auditioning for Starting Role With Browns
Through five games, Winston has passed for 1,763 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s provided a spark to the offense but knows taking care of the ball is the priority moving forward.
“In front of the whole world, I messed it up for us,” Winston told reporters after the game. “In front of the whole wide world, but I’m going to continue to get better and we are going to put this one behind us.”
If Winston can cut down on the costly turnovers and still be productive, there’s a good chance the Browns will try to keep the 30-year-old passer around next year to compete for their starting gig. Watson is expected to be back after a season-ending Achilles injury but a starting role has not been promised to the Browns’ $230 million quarterback.
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