It is Wednesday, September 8, 2022, and the opening of the 2022 NFL season is upon us.
The Cleveland Browns continue to prepare for their Sunday afternoon game at Carolina against the Panthers.
Here is the Wednesday edition of Browns Nation news and notes.
1. Stefanski Names Team Captains
In his third season as the Browns’ head coach, Kevin Stefanski has decided to name team captains for the entire season.
In previous years, he rotated players into the captain position on a weekly basis.
The 2022 Browns’ five team captains have representation on offense, defense, and special teams.
They are:
The #Browns have five team captains – Nick Chubb and Joel Bitonio on offense, Myles Garrett and Anthony Walker on defense and Charley Hughlett on special teams. pic.twitter.com/uLijHCxOQB
— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) September 7, 2022
Bitonio and Hughlett are the longest-tenured members of the Browns team so they were obvious choices.
The other three are proven leaders on and off the field also.
2. Stefanski Will Call Plays This Season
It never seemed as though this decision was in question.
Coach Stefanski has called the plays for all regular season games he was on the sidelines for.
During the preseason, he delegated play calling but will be reassuming his role in Week 1.
#Browns Kevin Stefanski says he'll continue to call the plays this season despite letting assistants take turns in preseason games.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 7, 2022
3. No Rookie QBs Starting For NFL Teams In 2022
Each NFL season brings new excitement.
Teams have changed their rosters hoping to find the right combination of talent to take them to the Super Bowl.
For the past 15 years, those changes always included rookie quarterbacks getting their first NFL starts.
That streak is about to be broken in 2022.
There are zero rookies expected to start at QB in Week 1 of this season for the first time in 15 years. #NFL 👀
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) September 7, 2022
4. Thursday Night Football On NBC
Though Amazon has secured the rights for Thursday Night Football, the opening game of the season will be aired on NBC.
The game between the Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills will air as part of the network’s Sunday Night Football programming (despite it being Thursday).
As with the NFL teams, the network personnel covering the games has changed a lot in the offseason.
It's official — your 2022 NFL lead broadcast booths:
ESPN: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman
Fox: Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen
CBS: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo
NBC: Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth
Amazon: Al Michaels, Kirk HerbstreitWho's #1? pic.twitter.com/a0qUsknyRR
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) May 31, 2022
For NBC, Cris Collinsworth is now in the booth with Mike Tirico.
“I’ve always said to my husband, ‘I’m going to be replaced by someone younger.’ And he’s always said, ‘Stop thinking that. No, you’re not.’ To be able to come back with a family is very validating and an important message for women." – @melissastark https://t.co/mVYt0bYDNo
— Rhiannon Potkey (@RPotkey) September 7, 2022
And Melissa Stark returns to the sidelines; she is one of the best to do it.
Happy Thursday Browns fans!
NEXT: 3 Things To Know About LB Jordan Kunaszyk
