Before the Cleveland Browns’ 21-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, it wasn’t hard to find columns and commentary calling for the NFL team to find a way out of its guaranteed, big-money contract with Deshaun Watson to keep Jameis Winston as the quarterback for the 2025 season.

The former Hueytown High School star returned to a starting role in the NFL when Watson sustained a torn Achilles tendon on Oct. 20.

But Winston won’t start at quarterback when the Browns play the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Second-year player Dorian Thompson-Robinson will get his chance under center, Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski said on Wednesday.

A free agent at the end of the season, Winston said he hoped to get an opportunity to become an NFL starter again. He has 87 NFL regular-season starts. Winston was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ starting quarterback in his first five NFL seasons, including throwing for 5,109 yards in 2019, the 10th-most in a season in NFL history. Winston got hurt in back-to-back seasons after earning the starting quarterback job with the New Orleans Saints.

“Am I satisfied?” Winston said on Wednesday. “Of course not. But that has more to do with me than to do with the organization or any other decision that people have made. … I hope that another team or this team gives me the opportunity to show what I’m capable of, and I’m just going to continue to keep getting better. I’m a man of faith, so I know that all things work together for those who love the Lord, so I know this is just another, I would say, speed bump in my process. But it’s something that I can control, so that’s the beautiful thing.”

The Browns have turned to Thompson-Robinson after Winston’s third game with three interceptions in his seven starts. But this time, the interceptions weren’t accompanied by any touchdown throws.

“I definitely feel like I showed enough that I am capable of being a starter in this league,” Winston said. “However, there are some pointers for me to get fixed and to get addressed so I can be the player that I desire to be in this football league.

“It was fun. It was a fun ride. But what’s most important right now is that the ride continues. Even if my show stops, the team’s show still goes on, and I’m still going to be an instrumental part of leading this team to some success.”

Stefanski said he “wanted to give (Thompson-Robinson) an opportunity and give him an entire week to prepare as a starter.”

Stefanski said the decision to change quarterbacks wasn’t made solely over the interceptions.

“We’re trying to find a way to win against a division opponent on the road,” Stefanski said. “Obviously, we need to take better care of the football as an offense. That’s the obvious part of it. That’s Dorian’s job. That’s the offense’s job. That’s everybody-that-touches-the-ball’s job. It’s not about one person.”

Watson signed a five-year, $230 million, fully guaranteed contract with the Browns after Cleveland obtained him in a trade with the Houston Texans in 2022. A suspension and injuries have limit Watson to playing in 19 of the Browns’ 48 games in his three seasons with the team.

Watson and Winston started seven games apiece this season for Cleveland. Watson completed 137-of-216 passes for 1,148 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions and ran for 148 yards and one touchdown on 31 carries. Winston completed 175-of-284 passes for 2,038 yards with 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and ran for 81 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries.

Cleveland won one game (against the Jacksonville Jaguars) with Watson as the starting quarterback and two (against the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers) with Winston.

In the seven games started by Watson, the Browns scored 109 points and produced 1,777 yards. In the seven games started by Winston, Cleveland scored 130 points and produced 2,558 yards.

With three games remaining on Cleveland’s schedule, Stefanski said his quarterback decision would be “week-to-week,” with Winston serving as the backup for Sunday’s game.

“He’s a pro,” Stefanski said of Winston. “He wants to do whatever he can to help this football team. He’ll continue to do that. He’ll continue to lead in his own way. He’ll continue to provide great leadership to this football team. He’s a pro’s pro.”

Winston said he expected “Dorian to go out there and do a great job” while he would be “serving the team, as I was just not in the role that I was serving the team.”

The Browns and Bengals kick off at noon CST Sunday at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.