Getty Images

Browns rookie DeShone Kizer has already been a bad quarterback this year. He’s learned he also became something far worse by going out for a drink the Friday night before a Sunday game — the dreaded D-word.

Via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Kizer apologized after he was caught on video in a bar around 1 a.m. Saturday, around 36 hours before he was benched again during a game.

“Absolutely,” Kizer said of his apology. “I’ve learned that this is distraction. We’re sitting here and talking about this and teammates are coming up to me and asking me about this. There’s so many cameras around here, it’s going t be made a pretty big deal and with that it’s on me to make sure from here on out I’m not a distraction and I’m an asset to the team and not a guy who’s pulling away from the ultimate goal.”

Browns coach Hue Jackson said it wouldn’t ultimately determine whether he’ll start this week in London against the Vikings, and that his decision would come Wednesday.

Kizer’s already been benched three times this year, primarily because he’s thrown 11 interceptions. But that didn’t keep Jackson from lecturing the rookie for being 21 years old, or Kizer from showing the requisite remorse.

“As a quarterback of this organization, I know there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with that and a big part of it is being a leader and being a leader is making sure you understand that distractions in any fashion aren’t good for an ultimate goal and when you become the centerpiece of a distraction for a week it definitely is very frustrating on my part,” Kizer said. “That’s not who I am. My mother wouldn’t be proud of this and that’s pretty much the biggest takeaway is do whatever you can to make sure you’re not a distraction.”

Of course, going to bars doesn’t preclude one from becoming a good quarterback (in fact a glance around the Hall of Fame might make you think it’s a prerequisite), but this is an 0-7 team with plenty of issues and a certain Jonathan Football in its recent past, so it’s a little more sensitive there.