Starting just six games for the second straight season, Deshaun Watson played only 383 snaps — four fewer than his suspension-shortened 2022. The Browns have received an alarmingly low return on the historically expensive trade with the Texans, but the contract they were required to authorize in order to win the 2022 sweepstakes continues to tie the team to the former Pro Bowler.
Going into season three of that five-year, $230MM guaranteed deal, the Browns are bringing their quarterback along slowly. Watson suffered a fractured shoulder socket and a partially torn labrum last season. He is not yet a full participant in the team’s offseason program, but the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot notes the eighth-year QB threw in front of the media for the first time this week.
Watson, 28, participated in individual drills and threw to receivers during the practice portions not involving a defense. Jameis Winston took the reps in seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 periods, Cabot adds. The team is gradually bringing its high-priced passer along, with Kevin Stefanski indicating (via the Akron Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling) Watson is not throwing at every OTA session. Stefanski said Watson is throwing every other day during OTAs, though the fifth-year Cleveland HC noted that is expected to change at next month’s minicamp.
“He threw the ball down the sideline, a vertical throw today, and that’s one I hadn’t seen from him a lot,” new Browns OC Ken Dorsey said, via Cabot. “We haven’t pushed him to do it, so that was good to see. The more he grows and feels comfortable with it, the more you’ll start seeing those things get ramped up more and more.”
The Browns had played games without Watson prior to his season-ending shoulder injury last year, with the likes of P.J. Walker and Dorian Thompson-Robinson making starts. Watson’s shoulder trouble, a micro tear of his rotator cuff, ultimately leading to a Nov. 21 surgery, preceded Joe Flacco‘s stunning resurgence. Watson also suffered a high ankle sprain last season. The team booked a playoff berth despite missing its starting QB, its top three tackles and Nick Chubb. Flacco is now in Indianapolis, indicating he was surprised Cleveland did not re-sign him, and Winston is the Browns’ Watson insurance policy.
While this certainly represents a pivotal year for the Browns and Watson, the team is still tied to the former Texans standout through 2026. Unlike last year, the Browns have not restructured Watson’s contract. That places what would be a record-smashing $63.77MM cap number on Cleveland’s cap sheet. No player has ever brought a $45MM cap charge in a season. Three-plus months away from Week 1, the Browns, Cowboys (Dak Prescott) and Broncos (part one of Russell Wilson‘s dead money) are in line to move past that benchmark. Barring a restructure, Watson’s cap number would top both players this season.
Watson’s surgery was to require a six-month recovery timetable. Shortly beyond that point, this process will be one to monitor as the Browns attempt to finally enjoy an extended run of quality QB play with their hired gun.
Truly incredible what a disaster Watson has been. Trading three firsts, a third, and two fourths for a guy who hasn’t even been a top 20 quarterback would be an all-time bad trade even if they hadn’t given him a contract so ridiculous that no one has come all that close to matching it yet, even much better players with less baggage and better health track records who’ve signed contracts during higher salary caps. They have a good roster and a good coaching staff, and there’s a limit to how much that can matter because of this absolute trainwreck.
I won’t disagree with this comment but should it be coming from a Jets fan? Gang Green will have their own trainwreck if Rodgers can’t stay healthy for more than 4 snaps.
Oh Rodgers is already somewhat of a trainwreck, but it doesn’t compare to sending an absolute ton of draft capital and paying the most guaranteed money in NFL history to a sex pest who can’t stay healthy and hasn’t been very good when he’s played.
There is nothing that Rodgers could do to make this close to the Watson disaster.
Rodgers and Watson are not comparable at all, Rodgers cost a 2nd round pick and not the worst contract in NFL history, Jets can move on after this year if they please, Watson has been an anchor for the heights cleveland can reach and will continue to be unless he remembers how he played 4 full seasons ago now, Watson is the worst trade and worst contract in league history, no team has a quarterback on their roster who can be half as horrible for their team as he has been and will be
Quitting the NFL to be a VP candidate would at least be an amusing, but less disgusting ending to a bad trade if we’re just throwing out hypotheticals
“Should it be coming from a Jets fan” are jet fans not allowed to have opinions on other things? Are fans of a team always in agreement with their franchises decisions?
I feel bad for Browns fans. They are genuinely good people who have not gotten what they deserve from their football team. As a Texans fan the moment I heard we dealt Watson to the Browns, before I knew the terms of the trade, I knew it was going to be good for us because….the Browns. And I kinda hate that because I know how awesome Browns fans are and how much they have been through. I also can relate. Growing up an Oiler fan and now a Texans fan. I know a little bit about the pain their fan base has been through.
I wish you all the best, but it is going to be a shame because until you are rid of Watson you will not win anything significant. You will also most likely have to say goodbye to some really great players so you can keep paying Watson.
The Browns, who have never won a thing in basically anyone’s lifetime, have better fans than most of the bandwagon ingrates who fairweather fan for my Penguins, a team that has won more than any other and had 3 of the 5 best players ever in the past 40 years.
But, they still traded the farm for a known rapist. So…F them and let’s just enjoy a rare broken clock moment for karma.
R___ is not what DeShaun Watson was accused of. Don’t cheapen strong words by bandying them about out of place. As for the actual charges of sexual harassment, after hearing all the evidence a grand jury chose not to indict Watson.
DeShaun Watson publicly defied billionaire owner Cal McNair. Once Watson stated clearly he would never play for the Texans again, Cal McNair’s attorney neighbour made Watson really, really pay for his sins.
I don’t know what’s wrong with some of these posters. Why not just accuse him of wiping out entire civilizations?
Browns fans are dumb. Stop giving them money only to see failure.
Take a look at some of these classy fans after Watson was suspended. Look at their custom jerseys…. or go to Cleveland when they play the Steelers.
Like any fanbase, you have good & bad. However, I would hesitate to call Browns fans genuinely good people.
I was at a Browns game around the time they announced the move to Baltimore (coincidentally against the Oilers). In the tailgating area, some fans had an effigy of Art Modell hanging from a noose and were beating it with sticks. Passionate fans, yes. Genuinely good people, hell to the no no no.
I wish I could give you a dozen upvotes larry. The Browns organization and fans were an embarrassment and total disgrace to the NFL when Modell passed away. They didn’t even want to acknowledge his existence. Even Sam Wyche (“You don’t live in Cleveland”) knew those fans in Cleveland are garbage.
Fire Andrew Berry.
The whole Watson situation feels like it was a decision made over Berry’s head.
In fairness it’s a lot harder to recover when you can’t use massage therapists.
Finally someone with a bit of sharp wit on this thread!
Watson only has himself to blame for that-he USED massage therapists
No idea what Flacco was asking—probably the farm—but it’s kind of odd that they signed 3 backups who together probably equaled that asking price
Not that I’m a Flacco fan, mind you, but this is a good team that only needs a somewhat steady QB. Watson is still a question mark, of course, but I’m not sure the other guys can guide this team if he’s not the answer
Flacco laid an egg in the last game but generally kept them in most games
Flacco was a threat in terms of likeability and results on the field to Deshaun and couldn’t be brought back. With how much they have invested in Deshaun they really want to avoid a situation where the fans are screaming to bench him in favor of a more popular backup after every mistake he makes.
Watson kept them in most games too.They had the same w/L record
Is that recovery from sex addiction, shoulder problems or anger management?
Yes.
Probably
I also have a difficult time recovering from injuries without my regular rub-n-tug.
God bless ‘em, the team and the player deserve each other.
Been a different player since his masseuse became dude named Chuck … feel bad for Browns fans cause situation is trainwreck w/no hope on the horizon.
A train wreck that had the 2nd best record in the AFC
With Joe Flacco, not Deshaun Flaccid.
They both had the same record. The Browns were 7-3 and the 5th seed when Watson got hurt and they finished 11-6 and the 5th seed. Watson had as much to do with the Browns making the playoffs as Flacco did. A win in September and October means the same as a win in December and January
Notice that despite the mediocre play, Watson won the games in which he played last year, after two years away from football.
If Watson’s injuries are not too serious, there’s every reason to expect a significant rebound.
Cleveland is paying about going rate for a top ten QB which is certainly the group in which DeShaun Watson belongs when healthy. Is the guy ever going to win the Walter Payton Man of the Year award? Probably not. Will he win a Super Bowl for Cleveland? Maybe.
Watson is a privileged piece of garbage. He took advantage of 20+ women who were just there to do a job. He treated them paid prostitutes when they were there as a medical professional. I bet you would feel differently if one of those women was your mother or your daughter. Anyone else without the ability to buy their way out of this situation would be in jail. Once maybe twice is an accident. Showing your franks and beans to an unsuspecting woman is called indecent exposure. He should be in jail, not on a football field. (Wasn’t indecent exposure one of the charges that got Kellen Winslow Jr 14 years in prison) He’s a degenerate piece of human refuse and I really hope he gets flushed down the crapper where he belongs.
The number of accusers was actually 66. The lower number are those that had enough of a case to take it to court.
When healthy is the big issue here. They have paid him 91 million over two years already. Played 12 games. On the salary issue remember his cap hits start this year. 63 million per yeR now. 22 percent of cap space. He needs to play great next 3 years to overcome salary already paid and still owed. I will agree he will never win walter payton award and should not win it.
I can’t think of a more worthy victim of this disastrous contract than Jimmy Haslam.
I wish Cleveland never traded for him. Fan since the 80’s as a kid I’ve had to watch the drive, the fumble, Kosar traded, the move to Baltimore, the endless QB drafts and then they finally found a useful one and they trade everything away for a guy who came with so much baggage. I can’t root for the guy and I’m just waiting this latest embarrassing era out so we can move on to another one.
I do wish the guy health and feel a massage or two might go a long way.
If you’re a Browns fan you’d know Kosar wasn’t traded
You’re right, I misspoke, I was also like 6
He just needs a Diddy Freakoff party and he’ll be back to his elite playing days.
Kosar was released by Bill B, I think the other QB was Mayfield & the Browns may have been better & more $$$ to go around & draft picks , Watson did win just as many games as Flacco but there is probably more dislike for Watson because of his personal situation not his football situation .It is the Browns that wanted to pay him that amount of money & give the picks up. It is really a nothing burger as it is not what you did yesterday it is what you did today.