BEREA, Ohio (AP) – Kelly Holcomb is dropping out of the Cleveland Browns’ heated quarterback derby on Thursday morning. He has a much more important starting assignment.

Holcomb has to be at the hospital at 7:30 a.m. His wife, Lorie, is having the couple’s third child.

“I’m excited, I really am,” said Holcomb, who is battling Tim Couch to be the Browns’ starting quarterback. “I know my wife is anxious to get it over with. In the hot heat of summer, she’s ready to go.”

The arrival of Holcomb’s youngest child – the couple doesn’t know the baby’s sex – will coincide with his return home this weekend when the Browns open their exhibition season against the Tennessee Titans.

Browns coach Butch Davis remained noncommittal about who is winning the quarterback competition. He has gone to great lengths not to show any favoritism by praising the performance of both of his QBs on a daily basis.

On Wednesday, Davis was asked if he was ready to name his starter for Saturday’s game.

“No, uh uh,” Davis said. “We’ve had drama all along, why not just keep having more drama? We’re going to drop leaflets somewhere between here and Kentucky.”

Davis later revealed that he will reveal his starter on Friday. He said his quarterbacks haven’t been told yet who will play first, but Couch appeared resigned to beginning the game on the bench.

“I want to (start),” said Couch, who started last week’s scrimmage against the Buffalo Bills. “But I’m not really worried if I don’t. It doesn’t really matter to me. I’m sure whoever starts in this game, the other guy will start in the next preseason game. We’ll probably rotate it like that.”

That would be fine with Holcomb, a career backup, who forced Davis to open the competition when he threw for 429 yards in a playoff loss to Pittsburgh.

Last week, Holcomb, working primarily against Buffalo’s second- and third-string defenses, went 12-of-16 for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Couch finished 8-for-13 for 79 yards.

and one TD.

“It doesn’t matter who starts,” he said. “It would be fun, but the way I look at it, you’re going to get to play anyway.”

But this year, Holcomb wants to play in all 16 regular season games, not just a few.

The 30-year-old is entering his eighth pro season, but this one is starting out much differently than any of the previous seven.

Holcomb has a chance to be an NFL starter, something that seemed unlikely while he was being waived four times by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, once by Indianapolis or while he was sitting on the Colts’ bench behind Peyton Manning or occasionally subbing for Couch during much of his two seasons in Cleveland.

Now, with a chance to fulfill a dream and become a No. 1 quarterback, Holcomb has had to focus on his job while balancing his family life. At times, it hasn’t been easy but he’s had his priorities set.

“The birth of my child is more important than a football game,” he said.

Couch, who has remained friendly with Holcomb during their head-to-head tussle, has been impressed with how well his teammate has handled all he has going on in his life.

“He has been great about it, and his wife has been great about it, too,” said Couch, who is single. “She knows how important football is to him. I know he’s really looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great day for them.”

Holcomb will be in the delivery room at Fairview Hospital on Thursday morning, and plans to return to the Browns’ facility later in the day.

The family has narrowed down their choice of names for the new baby, but Holcomb wouldn’t say which were the favorites. They’ve ruled out a few, too.

“How about Butch?” Holcomb was asked.

“No,” he said.

Couch joked that Tim Holcomb had a nice ring to it.

“I don’t think he took to well to it,” Couch said.

AP-ES-08-06-03 2026EDT