The Cleveland Browns were one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL throughout the 2024 season. Cleveland finished the season with a 4-13 record at the bottom of the AFC North division standings. The Browns are also somewhat stuck in QB purgatory after Deshaun Watson's recent Achilles re-injury.

The Browns have promoted Tommy Rees to offensive coordinator, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Rees, the former Notre Dame star quarterback, is now the league's youngest coordinator at 32 years old.

Rees had previous stints with Notre Dame and Alabama as an offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach before joining Kevin Stefanski's staff last year. He was a pass game specialist and tight ends coach for the 2024 season.

It will be interesting to see which new ideas Rees decides to make pillars of the new Cleveland offense. Cleveland was smart to promote Rees so early in the offseason. Now the Browns can get his input when making decisions on which players to go after during free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft later this spring.

Who should the Browns pursue as their next starting quarterback?

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski walks the sidelines during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Browns have a lot of work to do to fix their ailing offense. Hiring Rees as an offensive coordinator is a good start. Now the question becomes: who will be the starting quarterback for the Browns in 2025?

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It is safe to assume that Watson will not be ready in time to compete for the starting job during training camp. He may even miss the entire 2025 season. As a result, the Browns will have to look to someone else as the future of the franchise.

Cleveland has several different options they could pursue at the quarterback position.

The first opportunity will come via free agency. Vikings QB Sam Darnold is not under contract past 2024, so he will become a free agent unless Minnesota does something to lock him up. Darnold would be a huge upgrade for Cleveland, but may be too pricey as the hot commodity on the free agency market, if he makes it there.

Cleveland could also pursue a trade for a veteran quarterback like Kirk Cousins or Geno Smith to provide some stability. Browns fans likely wouldn't enjoy trading something valuable for a short-term bridge quarterback. However, it could be a smart move to make the team more competitive in a hurry.

Finally, there's the 2025 NFL Draft. Cleveland holds the second overall pick in the draft, so they should be able to snag one of the top signal callers if they wish. Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward are the best options in the draft.

It will be fascinating to see how the Browns approach the quarterback position this offseason.