CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer learned plenty of lessons in his first professional season, but the one that may pay the most dividends for him, and the team, came after a late-night trip to a bar became the topic of much speculation on social media.
Kizer understands that after dealing with two years of antics from Johnny Manziel, as well as getting just one win to celebrate in the last two seasons, Browns fans want to see their players working to improve, not letting off a little steam in the middle of what became the second 0-16 season in NFL history.
“They don’t want to see the celebrity status,” Kizer said in his exit press conference with the media. “They don’t want to see you out and about trying to build your brand. They want to see you becoming a better football player.
“Throughout this offseason, I will be committed to that and to showing that I’m going to continue to have the same work ethic that I had Day 1 when I got here because that is what put me on the path to the starting position. Now, in order to take the next step in my game, I have to go back out and prove to these fans that I can be the quarterback that they want me to be for a long time.”
In his first 15 NFL starts, Kizer completed 255 of 476 attempts (53.6 percent) for 2,894 yards with 11 touchdowns against a league-worst 22 interceptions. Despite taking 38 sacks for 226 lost yards and posting a 60.5 quarterback rating, Kizer rushed for 419 yards, 28 first downs and five touchdowns.
“There is so much that goes into it that if you can go and fix different aspects of what it takes to complete a pass, you can see that substantial growth,” Kizer said.
“Whether it be timing, spending time with some of these guys in the offseason or whether it be simply making sure that my footwork is precise and looking at myself and doing a bunch of self-scout on some of the bad throws that I had this year and eliminating some of those issues, I will be able to find the balance and the consistency that will allow me to be a much more accurate passer.”
Despite being thrust into the starting spotlight and struggling to develop consistency, Kizer maintains a strong level of confidence heading into the offseason.
“It is just about doing whatever we can to maximize it and taking these lessons for what they are and learning from them,” Kizer said. “Mentally, I’m good. My confidence is here. It is about going into this offseason, continuing to build my craft and becoming the best quarterback that I can become.
“I know that when I’m at my best and I’m as confident as I can possibly be and when I’m comfortable doing my job no matter what it is, typically, I find success. I think this year was a year that has allowed me to learn a lot about myself to continue to build that confidence and continue to remain comfortable in the position that I’m in so that I can go out and succeed for as long as I possibly can.”
