The Browns' Jameis Winston will start after Deshaun Watson's Achilles tendon injury

With Deshaun Watson out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, the Cleveland Browns will rely on Jameis Winston as their starting quarterback, head coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday. Watson suffered the injury in the Browns' 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Before Sunday's game, the Browns had named Winston their emergency quarterback behind Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Now with Watson out, Winston has been promoted, and Cleveland is giving the veteran quarterback the start.

Winston, a 10-year veteran of the league, signed a one-year deal with the Browns in March after stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints.

On Sunday, after Watson went down, Thompson-Robinson took over the quarterback role and went 11 of 24 for 82 yards and two interceptions. Winston then came off the bench to finish the game, going 5-for-11 for 67 yards and scoring a late touchdown with less than two minutes left.

Watson is scheduled to undergo surgery in the coming weeks. Although the team is insured for the quarterback's hefty contract, the financial impact of the deal had already weighed on the team before Watson's demise.

The Browns' upcoming 1-6 season includes two home games – against the Baltimore Ravens (5-2) and the Los Angeles Chargers (3-3) – as well as a bye in Week 10. At least in the near future, Cleveland will have Winston lead that team through the rest of this season.