The Browns do not plan on putting starting QB on a “quick leash” according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The day Mike Pettine pulled Brian Hoyer into his office to tell him he won the starting job, he sent him back out on a medium-sized leash. “It was ‘hey, this is your team. This is your offense,”’ Pettine said. “(It was) that we have his back. We didn’t go with him and just say, ‘hey, listen, we might do this and see how it goes and after a series we might switch it back. I know you can’t do that at quarterback.” “Quarterback’s the one position where you can’t be as quick on that trigger,” said Pettine. “(But) there’s no better motivator than competition. Anytime you feel secure and comfortable in a spot, you’re not going to perform as well. If you’re not performing well because there’s competiton, then you probably don’t have the makeup to be in the NFL to begin with.”
This is a “what have you done for me lately?” type of league. I’m sure that Pettine does not plan on having Brian Hoyer on a “quick hook,” but if he does not produce through the first 3 games of the season he could potentially lose the starting job to Johnny Manziel at the bye week. Hoyer had a very uneven preseason, and if that were to continue, the groundswell of support from the “dog pound” fanbase for Manziel may make it difficult to keep him off the field.