Hue Jackson says he'll decide Browns QB rotation after his '5th mai tai'

Hue Jackson says he’ll consult his liquor cabinet before he sets the quarterback depth chart.

Brock Osweiler may have a good chance at winning the competition to be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. That’s a reality that seemed pretty far-fetched when the Browns acquired Osweiler in a March trade.

To get the job, Osweiler will have to beat Cody Kessler and DeShone Kizer for the job. Browns coach Hue Jackson isn’t giving any hints on who’s ahead in the competition and gave Kizer the first reps at practice Wednesday.

Jackson is hoping to have a starter decided before the team’s first preseason game, but he already has a solid plan in place to decide the rotation for training camp:

Excellent plan, Hue.

Jackson probably could’ve used those mai tais in 2016 too. He had Robert Griffin III at the top of the depth chart for all of one week before Griffin ran headfirst into a defender and injured his shoulder.

By the end of the year, five different quarterbacks earned play time with the Browns and none threw more than six touchdowns.

It wasn’t any better before Jackson arrived in Cleveland either, with Mike Pettine having to deal with the fiasco that was 2014 first-round pick Johnny Manziel.

So far in 2017, it has been Osweiler who has earned praise from Jackson and the media. That likely comes as a surprise to everyone except Osweiler, who told reporters in May that his tape from the last two seasons proves he’s a starter. (Uh, OK.)

“I want to be the starter of this team, and I’m working every single day to put myself in a position to earn that starting job,” Osweiler said at practice Wednesday. “But my focus isn’t about who is getting what reps. My sole focus is ‘What can I do today to be a better player, have a good practice and make my teammates better?’”

That focus is serving Osweiler well so far, and the quarterback competition is sending Jackson to the liquor cabinet. Go Browns.