The Cleveland Browns will have a big reminder of how badly they have messed up at the quarterback position on Sunday with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield staring across the sideline. Almost five years ago, the Browns cast their former No. 1 pick aside and opted to go with Deshaun Watson instead, and that chapter could be reaching its fitting end on Sunday if Watson is unable to pull out a win.
If Watson’s personal losing skid reaches seven games on Sunday, it’s going to be hard for the coaching staff to justify starting him again in the Week 3 home opener when the fans are just waiting to loudly revolt against him. So many fans have been itching to see if Shedeur Sanders can take the next step, but we mustn’t forget about the other second-year QB on the roster as well.
Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot recently wrote an article providing some updated intel on Cleveland’s QB situation. She is already laying the groundwork for the Browns potentially canning Watson before Week 3 and rolling with Sanders, which will bump Dillon Gabriel up to QB2 whenever he recovers from his back injury.
“With the Browns pivoting to full youth mode possibly by next Sunday, it might not make much sense to have Watson serve as the backup. He’s in the final year of his five-year contract, and is effectively done here when benched. When Gabriel recovers from his back injury, he’ll likely be QB2 behind Sanders,” Cabot wrote.
So many fans and analysts in Cleveland are waiting, and almost rooting for Watson to fail just so everyone can move on. But maybe, just maybe, he has it in him to fight for his career and earn himself at least another start to prove he can still be a franchise QB.
If he can’t get fired up for this game, it may be his last time on an NFL field. We have all reached an inflection point and this organization puts itself at risk of losing the fans if they let him face that home crowd after a repugnant 0-2 start.
Gabriel has been written off by nearly everyone, but he showed a few signs last season and during the preseason as well. He has obvious limitations, but he did a great job protecting the ball unlike Sanders and Watson. Whether he’ll get another chance to prove himself remains to be seen, but if Watson flames out on Sunday, he’ll be one step closer to getting that opportunity.
NEXT: Insider Isn't Holding Back On What's Wrong With Deshaun Watson
