The jokes are more inevitable than they are funny.

“By the time they’re ready to win in five years, he’ll be ready to retire,” one pundit cracked Thursday night.

Sure, there are questions about the 28-year-old quarterback drafted No. 22 overall by the Cleveland Browns, but it was probably a reasonable call.

The Browns were in dire need of a quarterback and already had decided incumbent starter Colt McCoy wasn’t their guy. So where’s the harm in taking a chance?

Weeden is a shade under 6-foot-4 with a rocket arm and a quick release that enabled him to pass for more than 9,000 yards and 75 touchdowns in two seasons at Oklahoma State, which went 23-3 over that span.

He completed 72.3 percent of his passes last season, often fitting them into tight windows down the field.

That said, Weeden also reflects a certain desperation on the part of a franchise that hasn’t won more than five games since 2007. Team president Mike Holmgren is likely about halfway through his tenure and doesn’t want Cleveland to be any more of a stain on his resume than it already is.

Older because he spent five years as a hard-throwing relief pitcher in the New York Yankees minor league system, Weeden appears to have the arm, aptitude and leadership qualities that winning quarterbacks generally possess.

But his age will continue to lend itself to humor.

When he turned 27 as a college junior, a teammate gave Weeden a cane and a box of Depends.

Guess what, though. Kurt Warner was 28 when he became an NFL starter and he’s likely headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Nobody’s ordering a Weeden bust yet, but it will be fascinating to watch how his career unfolds.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408 or smcclelland @DaytonDailyNews.com