Browns' Deshaun Watson, Kevin Stefanski, GM Andrew Berry expected back in 2025 amid lost seasonhttps://t.co/tGWpMJZZLI
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) December 14, 2024
The Browns are sitting on a 3-10 record due largely to the lingering ramifications of one of the most disastrous transactions in NFL history. In 2022, the Browns acquired Watson from the Houston Texans in exchange for a treasure trove that included three first-round picks.
The Browns promptly signed Watson to an unprecedented five-year, $230 million deal, and Watson has so far rewarded them with three miserable, injury-riddled seasons. He tore his Achilles earlier this season, and his future as the Browns' starter is unclear.
The Browns have no choice but to keep Watson: cutting him in 2025 would leave them with a historic (and untenable) $119 million in dead money. Even with that spread over multiple seasons via a post-June 1st transaction, that's simply too big a pill to swallow for any organization.
Despite their participation in the Watson debacle, Stefanski and Berry are clearly being given a lot of grace by the Browns' brass. Watson has been so ineffectual when available (177.1 passing yards per game and 4.76 net yards per passing attempt over 19 starts with the Browns) that he has hamstrung the entire team. Seeing as the Browns can't get rid of Watson, Stefanski and Berry are being graded on a curve.
Stefanski and Berry have assembled effective teams around Watson, so they probably deserve a chance to show what they can do with a credible quarterback. Unfortunately, the size of Watson's contract all but disqualifies them from pursuing a veteran. Stefanski and Berry have no choice but to find a young, cheap alternative to Watson in the draft this offseason. If they fail to land a franchise quarterback soon, the Browns won't be patient much longer.
Photo Credit: © Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK
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