Washington Football: Jake Browning folds as Huskies fall to Cal

3. It’s time to move on from Jake Browning

When Washington lost to Oregon the writing was on the wall concerning Jake Browning’s career at Washington. The formerly elite passer has clearly regressed to the point where Washington won’t miss his departure this offseason. But now it’s gotten to the point where Chris Petersen needs to decide if it’s time to pull the plug on Browning earlier than the end of the year.

Browning completed 11-of-21 passes for 148 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He was benched midway through this game in favor of backup Jake Haener, who was equally ineffective and threw a pick six. Nothing about a 1-for-4, 11-yard performance makes anyone excited about giving Haener a second look, but Browning’s continued duds make the next man up a necessity, regardless of who it is.

Jacob Eason is waiting in the wings, but he won’t be eligible to play until next season because of transfer rules. That leaves Haener as an option worth exploring this season. If Eason is the heir apparent, what does Petersen have to lose from seeing what he has in Haener? If Browning can’t beat Cal, someone else should get a shot.