Report: Colt McCoy's 'fate as a former starter was sealed' by father's comments

Colt McCoy's father made some comments in 2011 about the Browns decision to put the quarterback back in the game after a controversial concussion. Those comments reportedly sealed McCoy's fate in Cleveland.

By Will Brinson

May 3, 2012 at 4:07 pm ET • 1 min read

Did McCoy's father open the door for the Browns grabbing Weeden? (Getty Images)

Many folks, myself included, are surprised that the Browns wanted to draft Brandon Weeden at 22nd overall and simply move on from Colt McCoy, rather than attempt to beef up the weapons around their incumbent quarterback.

Turns out, McCoy's future with the Browns may have been decided long before the 2012 NFL Draft. Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com reports that "McCoy's fate as a former starter was sealed" the moment Brad McCoy decided to make public comments about the Browns inserting his son back in the game after a dangerous-looking concussion.

"He never should've gone back in the game," McCoy's father said at the time. "He was basically out [cold] after the hit. You could tell by the rigidity of his body as he was laying there. There were a lot of easy symptoms that should've told them he had a concussion. He was nauseated and he didn't know who he was. From what I could see, they didn't test him for a concussion on the sidelines. They looked at his [left hand]."

The situation with McCoy since the draft has been interesting: he was reportedly on the trading block, and then the Browns reportedly weren't sure about dealing him and called the situation "fluid."

Since then it's become clear -- if only through comments from backup quarterback Seneca Wallace -- that the Browns aren't pulling any punches about holding a quarterback competition. This is Weeden's job, not McCoy's.

And it's possible that his father speaking publicly about McCoy's health during the 2011 season contributed to the Browns willingness to move on from their 2010 third-round pick.

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