Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam gave a vote of confidence to coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry Wednesday during the NFL owners meetings. He did not, however, do the same when asked about Deshaun Watson and the team’s quarterback situation beyond the 2024 season.
Watson, 29, is under contract through the 2026 season. He signed a record-setting $230 million contract extension in March of 2022 after he was traded from Houston to Cleveland.
“We need to get through the season and we will look at everything,” Haslam told ESPN when asked about the outlook of the Browns’ quarterback position.
Given his contract, the Browns would lose a substantial amount of money if they release Watson before his deal is up. But given how bad this season has gone for both Watson and the Browns, it appears that Haslam is open to doing whatever is necessary in order to get the team back on track.
Cleveland is currently mired in a disappointing 3-10 season one year after going 11-6 and earning a wild-card playoff berth. Injuries have been a major reason why the Browns haven’t been able to duplicate last year’s success. Instability at quarterback has also loomed large.
Watson went 1-6 as the starter before sustaining a season-ending injury. When he was healthy, the former Pro Bowler struggled with his accuracy and decision-making. Watson threw just five touchdown passes in seven games.
Watson’s previous two seasons in Cleveland weren’t much better. He completed less than 60% of his passes in 2022 after serving an 11-game suspension to start the season. Watson was 5-1 as the Browns’ starter in 2023, but he threw just seven touchdowns and completed just over 61% of his passes. The Browns’ offense operated at a significantly higher level after Joe Flacco replaced an injured Watson in the starting lineup late in the season.
In addition to his on-field struggles, Watson was again in the news for the wrong reasons earlier this year when he was sued for sexual assault stemming from an incident that took place back in 2020. Watson was previously sued by 25-plus women for varying degrees of sexual assault. Those lawsuits were settled out of court.
If the Browns part with Watson, they’ll join a growing list of teams that have moved on from franchise quarterbacks that were still under contract. The Broncos are paying Russell Wilson $39 million this season for Wilson to play for the Steelers. Things are working out for both parties; Denver is 8-5 with rookie Bo Nix and Wilson has helped Pittsburgh get off to a 10-3 start.
The New York Giants recently absorbed a $22 million cap hit after releasing former first-round pick Daniel Jones. Jones has since resurfaced with the Minnesota Vikings.
At this point, it would be speculation to suggest that the Browns will indeed release Watson. Haslam’s response on Wednesday was an indication, though, that Cleveland will consider other options this offseason when it comes to its quarterback situation.
“We’re all disappointed,” Haslam said of the 2024 Browns. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. We’ll go back and go to work.
“I’ve learned not to get too emotional during the season. We will sit down after the season, go through everything for next year.”
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Author: Bryan DeArdo
December 11, 2024 | 10:15 pm
