Jason Campbell will not wear extra padding

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jason Campbell (17) runs the ball in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium. Cleveland won 18-24. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Jason Campbell looked great in his first two starts, and his play has to give the Browns confidence in their two veteran quarterbacks going forward. Campbell seems to have a better shot at sticking with the team in the future than Brian Hoyer, but both players have shown that they are excellent backups and fully legitimate stop-gap options at starters.

Campbell bruised his ribs in Week 9 against the Baltimore Ravens, and it was a scary moment when it first happened. Ravens big DL Haloti Ngata fell on top of Campbell’s back, and the football underneath Campbell also lodged into his ribs. The play left Campbell in considerable pain, even during the remainder of the game. Yet Campbell still looked terrific out there with three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a solid average of 7.5 yards per attempt.

The Cincinnati Bengals will be a big in-state and in-division test for the Browns this week, but the Browns have momentum on their side. Andy Dalton sucked in last week’s loss, and the Browns are fresh off of the bye week. The bye helped Campbell recover from his bruised ribs, but it’s not like the tough QB needed any more time to heal anyway; he even practiced on the first day following the bye.

According to the Akron-Beacon Journal’s Nate Ulrich, Jason Campbell is so healthy right now that he won’t wear any extra padding despite playing in his first game since bruising his ribs. Expect Campbell to post a solid outing against the Bengals, and I wouldn’t write him off as the Browns starter of the future despite his age. The Browns should draft a QB this upcoming offseason, but there’s no reason to think that Campbell can’t lead this team to the playoffs.

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