Colt McCoy's season apparently is done. He hasn't been cleared by the team's medical staff after sustaining a concussion on Dec. 8 and likely won't play in the regular-season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But are his days as the Browns' starting quarterback over as well?
Everyone in the Cleveland front office -- from team president Mike Holmgren to general manager Tom Heckert to coach Pat Shurmur -- has remained noncommittal on McCoy's future. They refuse to evaluate his season, saying that will happen after the season.
If you're McCoy, it's not a good sign when Holmgren gives Shurmur a strong vote of confidence during the season but doesn't do the same for the quarterback. That doesn't mean McCoy is out as the Browns' starter. It says to me that the Browns are going to look around, either in free agency or the draft, to improve the quarterback position. If the Browns can't, they can always go back to McCoy.
In his first full season as a starter, McCoy ranked 25th in completion percentage (57.2), 25th in passing yards per game (210.2), 32nd in yards per attempt (5.9) and 27th in passer rating (74.6). Some argue that McCoy's statistics are low because the Browns are tied for the most drops in the NFL (31), according to ESPN Stats & Information, and have struggled to protect him.
The quarterback position will be the hot topic in Cleveland this offseason. With the potential to have the fourth overall pick in the draft, the Browns could have the opportunity to take Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III.