Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown has cleared the NFL's concussion protocol and will start this Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, according to clevelandbrowns.com.
McCown suffered a concussion in the first game of the season against the New York Jets. In that game, McCown threw for 49 yards and rushed for 23 yards but did not make it far into the game due to the concussion.
The Browns just earned their first win of the season last week against the Tennessee Titans. Johnny Manziel led the Browns by throwing for 172 yards and two touchdowns. This was Manziel's first win as a starter in the league, but even after the game he was still second string on their depth chart. Manziel will likely be ready to go if the Browns fall behind against Oakland this weekend, and fans will likely be calling for him if McCown isn't performing.
McCown is in his 13th season in the NFL, and the Browns are his sixth team since being drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round. Last season with the Tampa Buccaneers, McCown threw for 2,206 yards with 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. While those are not the numbers the Browns are looking for, McCown has shown flashes of greatness in the past. In 2013, filling in for an injured, Jay Cutler McCown threw 13 touchdowns to just one interception.
Head coach Mike Pettine will likely keep a short leash on McCown because he knows the performance Manziel put up last week. The job belongs to McCown for now, but he will likely need to play well or get a win to continue as the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns.
