Report: Colt McCoy to sit out Redskins’ preseason game against Browns

The Washington Redskins are reportedly taking a cautious approach with Colt McCoy and will hold him out of Thursday’s game against the Cleveland Browns.

One of the first major developments in the Redskins quarterback battle occurred on Tuesday night. While all three quarterbacks involved in the battle were expected to get action in the contest, it’s now looking like it will only be a two-man competition, at least for the preseason opener.

According to Craig Hoffman of 106.7 The Fan, Colt McCoy will be held out of Thursday’s action. McCoy is still recovering from a leg injury he suffered last season and while he has been a full participant in camp, the team evidently doesn’t want to risk him aggravating the injury in a meaningless game. As a result, McCoy will sit out.

Though this is just the first preseason game, this could have massive ramifications on the quarterback battle. With McCoy out, that means a majority of snaps will go to Case Keenum and Dwayne Haskins (though Josh Woodrum could see some fourth-quarter action as well). The team will get a chance to get a more extended look at Keenum, who will likely work with the starters, and that could give him the opportunity to rise in the position battle should he perform well.

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Meanwhile, Haskins will also get more extensive playing time and it seems possible that he could play the most snaps of the quarterbacks on the Redskins roster. Haskins was only a one-year starter at Ohio State, so getting him extra live reps in the preseason seems like a good idea. That will help him adjust to the NFL and if he shows off his arm talent and play-making abilities, he could make a case to start out of the gate.

For McCoy, being unable to play in this contest will hurt. But at the same time, Hoffman noted that McCoy likely would’ve played if it was a regular-season game. The Redskins are just being cautious as they don’t want to deal with any extra injuries at the quarterback position, especially after cycling through four starters last year. McCoy isn’t out of the competition by any means, and he should eventually get a chance to prove himself in action during the second preseason game.

Additionally, should Keenum and Haskins struggle against the Browns, that could push McCoy ahead in the quarterback battle by default. And that would give him at least a bit of momentum ahead of the second preseason game. That seems unlikely, but it still is important to note.

We’ll continue to keep an eye on the Redskins’ quarterback battle moving forward. But right now, Keenum and Haskins will have the biggest chance to pull ahead in the battle on Thursday night against the Browns.