Deshaun Watson was absent from the field on Sunday as the Cleveland Browns suffered another tough loss, yet his impact could be felt all around Huntington Bank Field.
As fans, frustrated and disheartened, headed for the exits in the final minutes of a 27-10 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers, the sense of a mid-season turnaround seemed to fade away with them.
The hope for division titles, playoff games, and Super Bowl appearances that came with Watson’s arrival in 2022 has turned into a nightmare. Despite having one of the most expensive rosters in the league, the Browns (2-7) find themselves at the bottom once again.
“Everybody’s frustrated,” said coach Kevin Stefanski on a Zoom call Monday.
Watson’s season-ending Achilles injury two weeks ago halted what was supposed to be a crucial bounce-back season for both him and the team. The Browns had given Watson a fully guaranteed $230 million contract, making it one of the biggest deals in sports history — a deal that now could go down as one of the worst.
It’s a huge mistake, not only because Watson hasn’t played well and has divided the fan base with his off-field actions, but because the team is now financially stuck, unable to make major changes to fix things.
Watson is set to make $46 million each of the next two years, and with the salary cap tied up, it’s hard to see the Browns just cutting him loose.
The idea of releasing him would leave the team with a massive financial burden, something even the billionaire owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam would likely want to avoid.
Once Watson finishes his rehab, he could return next season as a backup, but it’s unclear what that would accomplish. Anyone who has watched him play over the past two years can see that, even when healthy, he doesn’t seem to be a long-term solution.
The Browns are clearly back to square one when it comes to their quarterback situation. And that may be true for other areas as well.
Jameis Winston showed some promise for a week but returned to his old habits, throwing three interceptions on Sunday. Coach Kevin Stefanski said that Winston will remain the starter for the rest of the season, but the team still needs to give second-year quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson a longer look.
Apart from the quarterback problem, there are several other big issues with two months left in the season.
Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry both received contract extensions after last year’s playoff run, but the team’s poor performance in 2024 has raised concerns.
Recently, Stefanski handed over play-calling duties to first-year coordinator Ken Dorsey, and it’s unclear if this was Stefanski’s choice or something that was forced on him.
Berry’s roster decisions are also under more scrutiny. Cleveland lacks solid depth at many positions, and Berry’s recent trade of wide receiver Amari Cooper to Buffalo has left the team without a clear No. 1 receiver.
There may be more moves before Tuesday’s trade deadline at 4 p.m. (defensive end Za’Darius Smith and tight end David Njoku have been mentioned as possible trade targets).
Berry will also hold his annual bye-week press conference the next day, and he is expected to face a lot of tough questions about the Browns’ disappointing season.
Someone will likely take the blame for Cleveland’s struggles. It’s not just Watson’s fault. The good news is that the Browns have eight more games to fix things. The bad news is that they have eight more games to fix things.
