The situation with Deshaun Watson in Cleveland is becoming increasingly concerning, especially considering the massive financial investment the Browns made in him. Watson’s fully guaranteed $230 million contract was supposed to anchor the franchise for years, but instead, it’s becoming a serious burden as his on-field performance continues to underwhelm.
Kevin Stefanski’s public defense of Watson — noting his “good decisions” and “really good plays” — may be more about maintaining confidence and minimizing distractions than reflecting reality. The Browns’ 1-3 record and Watson’s dismal QBR indicate that the issues at quarterback are glaring. Ranking last among starters in QBR highlights how far Watson has fallen from his days as a Pro Bowl talent. His inability to execute at a high level has left the Browns’ offense sputtering and, combined with the contract, makes this an incredibly difficult situation for Cleveland.
Watson’s fully guaranteed deal means that even if the Browns wanted to explore other options, their hands are tied. There’s no feasible way to move on from Watson without crippling their cap space, and as he enters Year 3 of the contract, the pressure to turn things around quickly is mounting.
While Stefanski may point to other issues, such as the offensive line or defensive lapses, the reality is that quarterback play is the most critical factor in any NFL team’s success. Watson’s struggles directly correlate with the Browns’ poor start, and unless he can rediscover his previous form, Cleveland is staring at a future of wasted seasons and cap space drained by a player who isn’t living up to his price tag. The Browns gambled big on Watson, and right now, it looks like a losing bet.
Deshaun Watson’s struggles have become impossible to ignore, and his performance in the 20-16 loss to the Raiders only underscores the severity of the Browns’ issues at quarterback. His 176 passing yards on 24 of 32 completions, while efficient in terms of completion percentage, reflect a conservative, uninspiring offensive approach. The fact that Watson has yet to throw for more than 200 yards in a game through four weeks is alarming, especially given his contract and the expectations tied to him.
Watson’s inability to elevate the offense is even more troubling when you consider that Cleveland is running the second-worst offense in the NFL, averaging just 246.3 yards per game. Being the only team yet to top 300 yards in a single game this season highlights the lack of explosiveness and consistency. Watson was brought in to be the dynamic playmaker who could stretch defenses and generate big plays, but those plays simply aren’t happening. With only four touchdown passes on the season, the offense has been stagnant, and it’s clear that Watson is a major part of the problem.
At this point, it’s hard to justify Kevin Stefanski’s public praise of Watson when the results on the field are so lackluster. The offense’s inability to produce is a direct reflection of the quarterback play, and Watson’s numbers suggest he’s not only failing to live up to his massive contract but is also holding the team back. His current level of play puts immense pressure on the rest of the roster, especially the defense, which has often been left to carry the team in low-scoring games.
Unless Watson dramatically improves, the Browns are facing a season where their offensive ceiling remains low, and their massive investment in Watson looks more like a hindrance than a solution.
The situation the Browns find themselves in with Deshaun Watson is indeed one of the most precarious in the NFL, largely because of the unprecedented nature of his contract and the cost they paid to acquire him. While injuries to the offensive line and the high number of dropped passes from receivers certainly contribute to Cleveland’s struggles, Watson’s inability to elevate the team is glaring. The Browns invested in Watson expecting him to be the dynamic playmaker he once was in Houston, but instead, he’s become a major part of the problem.
When the Browns made this move, they gambled that Watson would return to his Pro Bowl form, believing he could raise the level of play around him, even when faced with adversity. But so far, Watson hasn’t come close to that. The front office traded three first-round picks and additional draft capital, assuming they were acquiring a franchise quarterback who could carry the team in difficult situations. Instead, the Browns are now committed to a quarterback who, to this point, hasn’t shown he can be the difference-maker they envisioned.
The fully guaranteed nature of Watson’s contract ties the Browns’ hands for years to come, making it almost impossible to move on from him or bring in serious competition at the position. And it’s not just the financial burden — the draft picks they sacrificed to get him have left the team with fewer resources to build around him. Cleveland can’t afford to let Watson fail, but at the same time, his performance through four games has been well below expectations, putting the Browns in a bind where they’re forced to hope that he can somehow turn things around.
The rival GM’s comment about Watson being a “great player” in Houston highlights the frustration. Watson was dynamic back then, capable of making big plays both through the air and on the ground. That player hasn’t shown up in Cleveland yet, and if he doesn’t return to form soon, the Browns could be stuck in an unenviable position: a roster with Super Bowl aspirations held back by a quarterback who was supposed to be the missing piece but is now a liability.
Deshaun Watson’s decline in Cleveland has been striking, and it’s compounded by the Browns’ monumental investment in him both financially and in terms of draft capital. When Jimmy Haslam pursued Watson, he did so with tunnel vision, focusing solely on the tantalizing stats Watson had posted in 2020 rather than the swirling controversy around him. That gamble — handing Watson the largest fully guaranteed contract in NFL history despite the serious allegations and the year-long absence from football — is now looking like a catastrophic miscalculation.
The numbers paint a grim picture. Watson has simply not been the same player in Cleveland that he was in Houston. In 16 starts over three seasons with the Browns, he’s thrown for fewer than 3,000 yards, with just 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions — far from the elite quarterback Cleveland thought it was getting. His performances, particularly this season, have fallen far short of expectations, and the fact that he’s statistically being outplayed by younger, less experienced quarterbacks like Tennessee’s Will Levis and Denver’s struggling rookie Bo Nix only adds salt to the wound.
While some of his regression can be attributed to missing 11 games due to suspension and 11 more with a fractured shoulder, even when Watson has been on the field, he hasn’t shown the same spark that made him a rising star in Houston. His accuracy, decision-making, and ability to extend plays all seem diminished, and the explosiveness that once defined his game is nowhere to be found.
For Haslam and the Browns, the Watson contract is turning into an albatross, and it’s difficult to feel sympathy given the circumstances under which it was offered. Haslam was willing to overlook serious off-field issues in pursuit of a quick fix to bring the Browns back to relevance. Now, the Browns are stuck with a quarterback who looks nothing like the player they thought they were getting, locked into a contract that leaves them with little flexibility.
In many ways, this feels like football karma. The decision to pursue Watson, despite everything, was driven by desperation to win at all costs. But now the Browns are learning that no amount of money can guarantee success if the foundation isn’t solid. Watson’s struggles aren’t just a short-term issue; they represent a long-term obstacle to Cleveland’s ability to compete. The “problem” that is Deshaun Watson is not going away anytime soon, and Cleveland is left with no choice but to hope he can somehow recapture the form that once made him one of the NFL’s most exciting quarterbacks. So far, though, there’s little reason to believe that will happen.
Deshaun Watson’s performance this season has been a significant disappointment, with the stats reflecting his struggles. Through four games, he’s accumulated just 727 passing yards with 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, along with 117 rushing yards and a single rushing touchdown. His completion percentage has been inconsistent, and his yards per attempt hover around a modest 5.0, underscoring his inability to generate big plays.
Despite a solid win against Jacksonville, Watson’s numbers — like the 176 passing yards against the Raiders and 169 yards against the Cowboys — indicate that he’s far from the dynamic quarterback Cleveland hoped they were getting. The fact that Watson is completing passes at a low rate and failing to break the 200-yard mark in any game this season speaks volumes about his current form and the ineffectiveness of the Browns’ offense as a whole.
Cleveland’s gamble on Watson, banking on him regaining the form he showed early in his career, hasn’t paid off, and with three losses in four games, the pressure continues to mount. At 29 years old and in his eighth NFL season, the window for Watson to turn things around is narrowing, and both the Browns and their fans are left waiting for a glimmer of the player who once was considered one of the league’s best young quarterbacks.
You’re absolutely right in highlighting the predicament the Browns find themselves in with Deshaun Watson. His massive, fully guaranteed contract is unprecedented in NFL history, and it has locked the franchise into an almost inescapable financial and roster bind. Watson’s struggles on the field, combined with off-field controversies, have transformed what was initially seen as a high-risk, high-reward move into a franchise-altering debacle.
The Browns’ front office bet big on Watson, hoping he would elevate a talented roster into a perennial playoff contender. Instead, they’re now dealing with a quarterback who, statistically, has performed at or near the bottom of the league. His inability to regain the form he showed in Houston — combined with the enormity of his contract and the lingering off-field issues — has left Cleveland in a difficult position. They’re essentially handcuffed, unable to bench him, seek competition, or make a clean break without incurring massive cap penalties.
As you pointed out, the fact that Cleveland didn’t re-sign Joe Flacco or bring in other serious competition underscores how much they are all-in on Watson. Any backup who even remotely threatens his starting job would create an uncomfortable dynamic, particularly given the scrutiny Watson is already under. The Browns are forced to operate in a world where they must maintain the appearance of unwavering support, even if Watson’s play doesn’t justify it.
Restructuring Watson’s contract in the future may be the only way to manage the cap ramifications, but as you noted, that could extend the marriage between Watson and the Browns for years longer than anyone in the organization would probably like right now. And if his off-field issues resurface or result in another suspension, that could further tarnish an already catastrophic investment.
Ultimately, Cleveland is stuck. They’re hoping for a miraculous turnaround from Watson — but with each passing week, it feels more and more like their decision to trade for and pay him has become one of the worst moves in modern NFL history. And barring some unforeseen resurgence, Watson’s contract could continue to be a financial and competitive anchor for the Browns well into the future.
It sounds like there’s a lot of frustration surrounding Deshaun Watson and the Browns’ situation right now. The comments from the GM reflect a sense of inevitability about the struggles stemming from the contract and trade. Given the expectations placed on Watson as a high-paid quarterback, it’s concerning that the team has only a 9-7 record in his starts and is not performing at a playoff level.
This puts the Browns in a tough spot; they invested heavily in Watson, and with that comes immense pressure to succeed. If he doesn’t elevate his play, it could significantly impact the team’s future and the organization as a whole. It’s a precarious situation, especially with fans and analysts looking for accountability and results. Do you think they should consider alternatives or continue to build around Watson in hopes of better performance?
