JUST IN: Cleveland Browns’ continued rise hinges on Deshaun Watson
BEREA, Ohio – Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was among the first to exit the visitors’ locker room in Houston. He pushed his hand through his hair as he walked through the Texans’ stadium tunnel with his son-in-law, team executive vice president JW Johnson.
It had been nearly two years since the Browns had sent Houston three first-round draft picks for quarterback Deshaun Watson. As part of the blockbuster trade, Haslam then gave Watson a five-year contract extension worth an NFL record $230 million fully guaranteed. The Texans were rebuilding. Cleveland was pushing its chips in to make a run to its first ever Super Bowl. Yet here in the wild-card round of the AFC playoffs, Houston and its new franchise quarterback – and surefire NFL Rookie of the Year – C.J. Stroud had torched the Browns on the way to a 45-14 victory, ending Cleveland’s season. Watson, meanwhile, was in street clothes still recovering from surgery on his right shoulder.
Since the trade, Watson has played just 11 games for the Browns. He was suspended 11 games in 2022 for violating for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy after more than two dozen women accused him of committing sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage sessions. Then in 2023, Watson battled two different right shoulder injuries, the latter requiring season-ending surgery in November.
Due in large part to the Watson contract, the Browns were the NFL’s most expensive team in 2023. They could remain there for the foreseeable future, as well. And yet, even after two seasons, it’s still unclear what the Browns have in Watson, and whether he still has the ability to propel Cleveland to a deep playoff run in a loaded AFC.
Watson has shown flashes of his former Texans self, when he once led the NFL in passing. Most notably, he completed all 14 of his second-half throws in a stunning comeback victory at the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately for him and the Browns, Watson also suffered the season-ending injury in that Nov. 12 win.
Those flashes, however, have been overshadowed by injuries and inconsistency. Watson has posted just a 41.9 QBR since making his Browns debut in 2022. The only passers with worse QBRs during that span include Mac Jones, Aidan O’Connell, Will Levis, Bryce Young and Zach Wilson. O’Connell, Levis and Young were rookies this past season; Jones and Wilson almost assuredly won’t be starters next season.
All the more damning, the Browns’ offense took off only after 38-year-old Joe Flacco took over at quarterback on Dec. 3. From that point on, Flacco led the NFL in passing yards per game (323.2) and Cleveland ranked fourth in scoring (28.6), while Watson watched on from the sidelines.
“Obviously, we want him on the field more often than he’s been,” general manager Andrew Berry said this week of Watson, who is on track to practice again sometime in the spring. “I do feel really good about him, happy with the progress that he’s made within our organization, both on the field and off the field, and we’re looking forward to getting him back next year. We think he’s going to have a really big year and have a ton of confidence in him as our starting quarterback. … We really feel good about him moving forward.”
Even with the perpetual questions surrounding Watson, the Browns have plenty else to feel good about moving forward.
They boast a star-studded defense led by All-Pro pass-rusher Myles Garrett and lockdown cornerback Denzel Ward that should be among the best in the league again next season under coordinator Jim Schwartz. Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, safety Grant Delpit and cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. showed this season they could be on their way to being Pro Bowl performers, as well.
Above all, though, after cycling through so many over the years, the Browns learned they have their long-term head coach, too.
