Bad quarterback investments have been frequent over the past few years. With due respect to the ill-fated moves outside Ohio, the Browns are on their own tier regarding a potential misstep due to the contract and trade compensation required to bring Deshaun Watson to town. Fifteen starts in across three seasons, this acquisition has not come close to producing what Cleveland sought.
The Browns have seen glimmers of hope from their high-priced passer, but he has wildly underperformed based on expectations. Watson, the NFL’s passing leader during his final active season in Houston and a three-time Pro Bowler who drew historic trade offers from at least three other teams in 2022, ranks ahead of only Bryce Young in QBR this season. At 29, the embattled quarterback has not responded well at a career crossroads.
It also may not exactly be accurate to label the former Pro Bowler as being at a crossroad point, as his 2025 and ’26 seasons — on a $230MM contract — are fully guaranteed. The Browns are dealing with the kind of trouble NBA and MLB teams run into upon authorizing a bad long-term contract, as the deals are almost always fully guaranteed in those leagues. Guardrails are in place in the NFL to protect teams against this type of situation unfolding. Owners already veered away from this contract structure — based on the QB deals finalized since Watson’s March 2022 windfall — and based on the Browns’ return on investment, another big-ticket fully guaranteed accord is highly unlikely to commence anytime soon.
A murky path to the Browns voiding Watson’s guarantees may exist if the QB is suspended in connection with the latest sexual assault allegation to emerge, but the team is still committed to making this fit work on the field. A quick hook involving the eighth-year passer is unlikely to commence due to the investment the Browns made, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Jameis Winston sits as the Browns’ backup, with the team having passed — to the surprise of some — on re-signing Joe Flacco, who is now the Colts’ backup.
Watson showed concerning form following his 2022 suspension, but that was effectively written off due to the lengthy midcareer layoff his off-field trouble and 2021 trade request brought. Last season featured the Browns go 5-1 in Watson’s starts, offering some hope the team could salvage this widely criticized acquisition. The team fired its OC and QBs coach (Alex Van Pelt, T.C. McCartney) despite Flacco’s shocking run to Comeback Player of the Year honors in Kevin Stefanski‘s system. Themed around wanting an offense more in line with Watson’s skillset, the Browns retooled under their newly extended HC.
Ken Dorsey‘s arrival has not brought improved play. And curiosity about how long the Browns want to keep going here has understandably become part of this equation. While Watson has not played with Nick Chubb since September 2023 and has not enjoyed a healthy O-line this season — as evidenced by the Giants’ eight-sack spree in Week 3 — his issues in Stefanski’s offense have existed since his 2022 debut.
Although a recent rumor pointed to the Browns bracing for another Watson ban, no present path to the team escaping the guarantees exists. The team, which also extended GM Andrew Berry this offseason despite the Watson contract occurring on his watch, is on the hook for $92MM in guaranteed salary from 2025-26.
The Browns have restructured Watson’s contract twice, inflating the dead money that would come in the event of a separation before 2027. It would cost them an astonishing $172MM in dead money to part ways with the struggling QB in 2025. That would introduce more new territory for dead money catastrophes. The Broncos’ $83MM-plus dead cap hit from Russell Wilson‘s contract already more than doubled the previous record.
We are not there yet, but barring a dramatic uptick from a quarterback who returned from a shoulder fracture, the Browns are stuck. Watson’s play could sink an otherwise well-built roster, one featuring players from two playoff teams since 2020.
Winston has 80 career starts on his resume, though he was erratic in Tampa and then benched in New Orleans for Andy Dalton early in the 2022 season. For now, the former No. 1 overall pick would only see time if another Watson injury occurs. Though, the on-field component of the Browns’ borderline disastrous QB situation — as more off-field drama plays out — certainly bears monitoring given the early-season results.