On track to open as backup

Kizer is on track to open the season as the Packers' backup quarterback following the team's trade of Brett Hundley to the Seahawks on Wednesday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: While Kizer has not officially been named the No. 2 quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers, Hundley's departure leaves undrafted rookie Tim Boyle as the only other quarterback on the roster, so it all but guarantees Kizer the job unless the Packers add another player at the position prior to Week 1. Kizer started 15 games for the Browns as a rookie last season, but the Packers are no doubt hoping he only sees the field in inconsequential situations in 2018.

Struggles in third preseason contest

Kizer completed just 11 of his 23 pass attempts for 120 yards and rushed two times for five yards Friday against the Raiders.

Analysis: Kizer was brought in this offseason to compete with Brett Hundley for the backup role behind Aaron Rodgers, but, if Friday's affair is any indication, Hundley remains ahead of him in the race. Hundley received the start during the contest and outperformed Kizer in what was a rather lackluster offensive showing for the Packers overall. It's unlikely the Packers will carry fewer than three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, so it's a good bet that Kizer will stick around even if he doesn't earn…read more

Plays well in second exhibition game

Kizer completed seven of 12 passes for 149 yards and had two carries for four yards in Thursday's win over the Steelers. He tossed two touchdowns in the game and did not throw an interception.

Analysis: A good chunk of Kizer's passing yardage came on a catch-and-run from receiver Jake Kumerow, but he nonetheless put up quality numbers in his four series on the field. Kizer and Brett Hundley remain neck and neck in the battle for the Packers' backup quarterback spot.

Excels in first action with new team

Kizer completed nine of 18 passes for 134 yards and had three carries for 18 yards in Thursday's preseason win over the Titans.

Analysis: Kizer's completion percentage certainly wasn't great, but he looked plenty comfortable in his new surroundings and made a number of plays with both with his arm and legs. Kizer, who was acquired from the Browns during the offseason, is competing for the backup spot behind Aaron Rodgers with Brett Hundley, who also played well Thursday. Hundley has the slight edge at the moment given his tenure in Green Bay, but the Packers clearly like Kizer. Therefore, even if he does lose out to Hundley, he…read more

Traded to Packers

The Browns traded Kizer to the Packers on Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Analysis: The compensation for 2015 first-round pick Damarious Randall (hand) is a developmental quarterback, which is an apparent need after Brett Hundley was forced into action and more or less disappointed in 2017. Kizer himself retained the starting job in Cleveland for all but one game as a rookie last year, tossing a league-leading 22 interceptions and completing only 54 percent of his passes. Expect Kizer to compete with Hundley for the backup gig behind Aaron Rodgers this offseason.

Kizer received praise from Browns general manager John Dorsey for improving over the final month of his rookie season, Dan Labbe of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. "What I thought was really nice was how much he improved week in and week out," Dorsey said. "And like I've always told you guys, I think a young quarterback from year one going through his rookie year, into year two, he makes exponential improvement moving forward and I would expect nothing less from him."

Analysis: The Browns aren't necessarily ready to give up on Kizer, but they also don't want to be in the position of depending on him as a starter. It'll be a surprise if Cleveland doesn't use one of its two first-round picks on a quarterback, and there also are rumors that head coach Hue Jackson is still pushing for a reunion with impending free agent AJ McCarron. Kizer's best-case scenario is a quarterback competition in which he's the underdog, while the worst-case scenario would leave him as a clear…read more

Kizer completed 16 of 30 pass attempts for 314 yards, two touchdowns and one interception Sunday against the Steelers. He also carried six times for 61 yards in the 28-24 loss.

Analysis: Kizer put on a career effort as Cleveland attempted to avoid a winless season, posting career highs in both passing and rushing yardage. Most of his damage through the air came on big plays, as he completed four passes of at least 30 yards on the day, including two of at least 54. Kizer struggled at times during his rookie campaign, finishing with a putrid 11:28 touchdown-turnover ratio, but he also flashed significant upside at times. Adding to his stock as a potential fantasy asset in the…read more

Kizer completed 18 of 36 passes for 182 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in Sunday's 20-3 loss to the Bears. He also gained eight yards on three rushes.

Analysis: The rookie's turnover issues continued, as he was picked off by Kyle Fuller at the Bears' five-yard line just before the two-minute warning in the first half and victimized a second time by Bryce Callahan with 4:21 remaining at Chicago's 37. Kizer averaged an unsightly 5.1 yards per attempt and threw multiple interceptions for the third consecutive game. Given his ongoing struggles, it remains to be seen if he'll have an opportunity to start the regular-season finale against the Steelers in…read more

Won't be benched

Kizer will start Sunday's game in Chicago, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Analysis: Browns head coach Hue Jackson sounded like he was considering a change in the immediate aftermath of Sunday's 27-10 loss to the Ravens, but he'll apparently give Kizer a shot to redeem himself against a respectable Bears defense that ranks 17th in yards allowed per pass attempt (7.1). With the possibility of a winless season staring the Browns in the face, Jackson presumably is sticking with Kizer because he doesn't think Kevin Hogan or Cody Kessler would give the team a better shot to win.…read more

May get benched

Browns head coach Hue Jackson hinted that Kizer won't necessarily start Week 16 against the Bears, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. "I'm going to watch the tape and make the best decision for our football team because we're still trying to win," Jackson said. "We're not here just trying to get through the season. We're trying to win. If the best decision is to move forward in a different direction, we will. At the same time, I want [Kizer] to finish this if he can."

Analysis: Jackson has given Kizer a long leash in the latter half of the season, perhaps hoping to see if the rookie would look better with Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman in the lineup. Kizer did show some promise Weeks 12-14, but he then had zero touchdowns and three turnovers in Sunday's ugly 27-10 loss to the Ravens. With the prospect of an 0-16 season on the horizon, Jackson seems to be thinking about making a change at quarterback for Week 16 in Chicago. Kevin Hogan has been serving as Kizer's…read more

Kizer completed 20 of 37 passes for 146 yards with two interceptions and a fumble during Sunday's 27-10 loss to the Ravens. He also added seven rushes for 35 yards.

Analysis: Once again, the rookie signal-caller failed to impress his new general manager John Dorsey, and the notion that the Browns will use its likely No. 1 overall pick on a quarterback in next year's draft continues to grow stronger amidst Kizer's repeated struggles. The only touchdown by Cleveland on the day was set up by a long run by Isaiah Crowell, with Duke Johnson ultimately running in for a score. Other than that, though, Kizer failed to consistently move the ball, with the Browns finishing…read more

Kizer completed 20 of 28 passes for 214 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, adding two carries for seven yards, in Sunday's 27-21 overtime loss to the Packers.

Analysis: Kizer led long marches that culminated with touchdown passes on two of Cleveland's first three drives, but he struggled thereafter and eventually threw a terrible interception in overtime to essentially hand Green Bay the game. While he still finished with three passing scores for the first time in his career, Kizer ultimately didn't help his post-2017 cause. Head coach Hue Jackson recently acknowledged the possibility that Cleveland uses its first-round pick on a signal caller, though he also…read more

Browns head coach Hue Jackson acknowledged that the team may use its first-round pick in the 2018 draft on a quarterback, but he also said that Kizer still has a shot to be the franchise's future at the position, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports.

Analysis: Kizer has shown signs of improvement the last five games, cutting down on turnovers while making some big plays with both his arm and his feet. He still completed less than 60 percent of his passes in each of those games, bottoming out at 46.9 percent in Sunday's 19-10 loss to the Chargers despite having both Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman at his disposal. Kizer hasn't done nearly enough to dissuade the Browns from bringing in another quarterback, but he can at least use the final four weeks of…read more

Kizer completed 15 of 32 passes for 215 touchdowns with a touchdown, a lost fumble and an interception during Sunday's 19-10 loss to the Chargers. He also rushed for a team-high 46 yards on five carries.

Analysis: At times throughout Sunday's contest, Kizer looked the future at quarterback for the Browns. He completed passes of 25 or more yards to three different receivers, including a 28-yard touchdown connection to David Njoku that gave Cleveland a short-lived lead. However, when it came down to crunch time, Kizer reverted back to his rookie ways, losing a fumble and throwing an interception late in the fourth quarter on consecutive drives. And once again, he failed to complete 50 percent of his…read more

Kizer completed 18 of 31 passes for a career-high 268 yards during Sunday's 30-16 loss to the Bengals. He also rushed nine times for 39 yards and a score.

Analysis: Though Kizer failed to connect on a touchdown pass Sunday, he finished with a career high in passing yards, rushed for his fifth score and didn't turn the ball over -- something that has plagued the rookie throughout 2017. His passer rating of 86.5 was also a career best, as Kizer displayed accuracy he typically hasn't shown during his brief tenure in the NFL. The 21-year-old's best completion of the day came on a throw off his back foot to Corey Coleman down the right side of the field for a…read more

Kizer is returning to Sunday's game after being evaluated for a concussion.

Analysis: Kizer exited Sunday's game in the second quarter to be evaluated for a concussion, but he's now returned after missing just over five minutes of game time. He'll be expected to finish out the game under center, barring further injury.

Kizer exited Sunday's game against the Bengals to be evaluated for a concussion.

Analysis: Kizer entered the locker room early in the second quarter after taking several hits to start the game. Cody Kessler will fill in for the rest of the game if Kizer is unable to return.

Not expected to lose job this year

Browns head coach Hue Jackson said following Sunday's 19-7 loss to the Jaguars that Kizer would likely start for the rest of the season, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports. "Where we are right now, I need to continue to see him,'' Jackson said of the rookie quarterback. "Let's let him play. Let's let him play this thing out. As long as he's healthy, let's keep putting him out there. I want to walk away from this season knowing exactly what DeShone Kizer is top to bottom. He deserves that."

Analysis: Kizer committed four turnovers in Sunday's loss, but Jackson didn't hesitate to commit to the rookie as his starter for Week 12 against the Bengals. The coach's comments further suggest that Kizer will start beyond Week 12, though it's possible Jackson changes his mind if there aren't signs of progress in the coming weeks. The only real positive from the Week 11 loss was wideout Corey Coleman (hand), who returned from injured reserve to catch six of 11 targets for 80 yards. With Josh Gordon…read more

Kizer completed 16 of 32 passes for 179 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions during Sunday's 19-7 loss to the Jaguars. Additionally, he tacked on five carries for 22 yards.

Analysis: Kizer continues to be uninspiring as the Browns' starting quarterback, even with Corey Coleman at his disposal for the first time since Week 1. In nine appearances this season, Kizer has failed to reach 200 yards in six of them while tacking on two more picks to settle at an NFL-worst 14. Despite the lacking performance, head coach Hue Jackson told Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal that Kizer will get another chance to lead the offense next Sunday at Cincinnati, which boasts the…read more

Kizer (ribs) practiced fully Thursday, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Analysis: Kizer, who briefly left the Week 10 loss to the Lions after bruising his ribs, was limited Wednesday, but his return to a full practice Thursday signals that he'll be fine for Sunday's home game against the Jaguars. The impending return of wideout Corey Coleman (hand) from injured reserve should boost Kizer's prospects down the stretch, but a run-heavy approach could be in order this weekend, with snow, wind and cold temperatures in the forecast for Cleveand on Sunday, according to Patrick Maks…read more

Kizer (ribs) was limited at Wednesday's practice, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Analysis: Kizer briefly left Sunday's 38-24 loss to the Lions, but he returned for the end of the contest and said afterward that he'll continue to play through the rib injury. It only would have been a major concern if he'd missed Wednesday's practice entirely. Of course, a Week 11 matchup with the Jaguars doesn't bode well for his chances to avoid an aggravation, not to mention actually putting up some points. The expected return of Corey Coleman (hand) should at least help a little bit.

Kizer said Monday that his bruised ribs are sore, but he expects to get treatment this week and continue playing through the injury Sunday against the Jaguars, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Analysis: Kizer left Sunday's 38-24 loss to the Lions in the third quarter, but he only missed a few snaps and still finished with one of his better stat lines of the season. He'll have a hard time matching the performance in Week 11, facing a Jacksonville defense that's completely shut down passing game all season. The Browns do expect Corey Coleman (hand) to return, with Josh Gordon potentially joining him in Week 13. The improved supporting cast should help Kizer down the stretch, assuming he stays…read more

Kizer completed 21 of 37 passes for 232 yards with a touchdown and an interception during Sunday's 38-24 loss to the Lions. He also rushed seven times for 57 yards and a score.

Analysis: Kizer briefly left the game with a rib injury in the third quarter, but he was fortunately able to return later in the fourth after missing just a handful of plays. Unlike in his previous starts, the rookie from Notre Dame was able to lead his team on multiple scoring drives while protecting the ball, save for a late interception by Darius Slay. Kizer rushed for a career-high total, threw for over 200 yards for the first time since Sept. 24 against the Colts and looked more comfortable in the…read more

Returns to Sunday's game

Kizer returned to Sunday's game against the Lions after having left the contest with rib injury.

Analysis: Cody Kessler completed one of three pass attempts for five yards in Kizer's absence, but the rookie signal-caller was able to return to the game, with the 0-8 Browns attempting to mount a late comeback in Week 10.