At long last, the Cleveland Browns are nearing the end of the narrow, winding road that has been the Deshaun Watson era. They can finally move on from the historically unsuccessful experiment with the veteran quarterback next offseason, which seemed imminent — or so we thought.
Parting ways with Watson at the first chance the Browns get has long felt like the obvious choice. He's been plagued by injuries and ineffective when available, plus his off-field baggage will always follow him. Concerningly, none of that appears to faze the club's general manager, Andrew Berry, though.
Berry sounded at least amenable to the idea of continuing the partnership with Watson past 2026 during a recent appearance on 92.3 The Fan. But why? How has Cleveland not seen enough to slam the door shut on a real-life nightmare?
Browns GM Andrew Berry oddly doesn't rule out new Deshaun Watson contract
As if Watson hasn't taken enough money, time and resources from the Browns. He's failed to live up to the tremendous expectations that came with his unprecedented five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract, to say the least.
Nevertheless, Berry gave some recent examples of declining passers who parlayed their career revivals into long-term extensions as proof of concept and a potential roadmap.
"I think everything's on the table," Berry stated. "I think it would be silly to go into a season saying, 'Hey, something absolutely can or cannot happen.' And I think particularly at the quarterback position, we've seen it with guys, whether it's Sam Darnold, or Daniel Jones, or Geno Smith, or even Baker [Mayfield] after he left [the Browns and the Carolina Panthers].
"So I think you have to be open-minded and flexible. But I wouldn't rule out anything. We're looking for guys who can perform and who can lead."
Surely, if Berry's searching for players who can be playmakers and set the standard for others, there are better paths forward than rolling with Watson. Whether it's via the NFL Draft or using their newfound trove of assets from trading superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett, Cleveland has options.
Coming off a re-torn Achilles that sidelined him for all of 2025, it's hard to envision Watson coming close to regaining his three-time Pro Bowl form. He was one of the NFL's least efficient signal-callers by several notable metrics when we last saw him, and the numbers bear that out.
54 QBs recorded at least 50 dropbacks in 2024, including the playoffs, with Watson among them. Here's where he ranked in the following categories, courtesy of Pro Football Focus ($):
- Fifth-highest pressure-to-sack rate (28.0 percent)
- 52nd in yards per attempt (5.3)
- 45th in passer rating (79.0)
- Tied for 34th in completion percentage (63.4)
Turning 31 in September and set to hit unrestricted free agency after the upcoming campaign, Cleveland should wash its hands clean of Watson. They have a chance for a fresh start, yet are oddly giving him a blank slate with new head coach Todd Monken.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me, as the saying goes; it's hard to be sorry for a franchise that doesn't want to help itself.
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