The Cleveland Browns have a big problem on their hands right now.
Deshaun Watson isn’t playing up to the standards, and most analysts and fans believe they would be better moving on from him.
They have one of the best backups in the game in Jameis Winston, and even if that weren’t the case, Watson has statistically been one of the worst quarterbacks in the league this season by most metrics.
Nevertheless, it seems like they’re pretty much stuck with him.
NFL insider Ari Meirov pointed out the fact that Watson is making $45 million this year and is due to make that same amount of money for the next two seasons, so there’s no way they’re going to just bench him.
Per Meirov, the Browns will have no choice but to “word salad” their way out of this situation, as Watson has cap hits of $72.9M in both years.
The #Browns can't say this and won’t say this, but there's nothing they can do about Deshaun Watson. He’s making $45M this year, will make $45M fully guaranteed next year, and another $45M fully guaranteed the year after that, with cap hits of $72.9M in both years.
You can't… https://t.co/xmYWUvF5bC
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 14, 2024
That makes perfect sense from a financial standpoint, but the Browns are taking a massive risk here.
The team was strong, united, and resilient last season, none of which they seem to be this year.
Accountability matters a lot inside a locker room, and keeping a player out there just because of all the money he’s making sends the wrong message.
Watson is not to blame for the contract he got, but he’s not doing the team any favors.
It’s a shame to see that Andrew Berry’s and Kevin Stefanski’s otherwise very positive tenure with the team could go down in infamy because of a single move.
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