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The Cleveland Browns are facing uncertainty at quarterback, and with Deshaun Watson still recovering from an Achilles injury, the team’s lack of commitment raises questions about his future.
The Browns traded for Watson in 2022, hoping he could be their long-term solution at quarterback. It’s been anything but that and has created a disaster for the Browns to deal with going forward.
Watson is under contract for the next two years at $46 million annually. However, he will count $73 million against the cap each year, significantly hampering the Browns’ roster-building efforts. Cutting Watson — who is on a fully guaranteed contract — would lead to a historic amount of dead cap.
Watson struggled this season, going 1-6 as the starter for the Browns. In those games, the offense failed to break the 20-point mark even once, and Watson never threw for more than 200 yards.
Cleveland has remained noncommittal about Watson’s status as the starting quarterback upon his return, a stance recently echoed by owner Jimmy Haslam in a recent interview with ESPN.
“We need to get through the season and we will look at everything,” Haslam said in response to a question about Watson’s future.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry expressed a similar sentiment earlier this season.
“Really our focus with Deshaun — I would say, for any player with a season-ending injury and a major injury — is first and foremost with the recovery and to make sure he gets healthy from the Achilles injury,” Berry said. “Everything else we’ll deal with at a later moment.”
Deshaun Watson Called ‘Tone Deaf’ for Behavior
Watson has been out since October 20, when he suffered a season-ending Achilles rupture. He had surgery at the end of October and has not been around the team much since.
He has been present on social media, posting various videos from his Miami home with his girlfriend, Jilly Anais. Former NFL quarterback Shaun King recently called the posts from Watson “tone deaf.”
“I just think Deshaun Watson is tone-deaf,” King said on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show. “I think he lives in an alternate universe and I don’t think he’s got anyone around him to keep him measured because, at the end of the day, I’m my brother’s keeper, right? Like I went to battle with these guys.”
Myles Garrett Says Browns Not on Same Page
Watson was bad when he was on the field, but the Browns have had a variety of issues plaguing them this season. Superstar pass-rusher Myles Garrett has been productive with 11 sacks but admitted that the team hasn’t been on the same page this year.
“Well, as far as teamwise, no, I don’t think we’ve all been on the same page. So that has probably been a majority of the dysfunction that we’ve seen on the field,” Garrett said. “Organizationally, I mean the goals have aligned all season, just the play and execution has not.”
Haslam said the lack of wins has left him perplexed.
“We went from 11-6 and making the playoffs to 3-10, so it’s a little perplexing what happened,” Haslam said.
The Browns have stumbled to a 3-10 record, which will likely put them in the mix for a top pick in the NFL Draft. The team could use that pick to select one of the top quarterbacks to be the successor to Watson.
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