Browns risk undoing everything if they go back to Deshaun Watson

For the first time in what feels like forever for a franchise that’s won just eight of its last 34 games, there’s been a semblance of positive momentum around the Cleveland Browns. They brought in one of the NFL’s best offensive playcallers in Todd Monken and have since hammered away at offensive roster needs both in free agency and the draft. Over the past few days, GM Andrew Berry and the team have received nothing but praise for their work so far this offseason.

But Browns fans aren’t allowed to be happy, and the latest social media buzz around Deshaun Watson is just the latest example.

To be clear, we shouldn’t get the team in trouble for something it hasn’t done. Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot reported that Watson gained “an edge” over Shedeur Sanders during last week’s veteran minicamp, but fans shouldn’t take the bait on a story citing an unnamed source that’s not yet rooted in reality.

NFL teams that hired new head coaches were permitted to conduct voluntary on-field workouts between April 21 and 23, and Monken took full advantage. This wasn’t real football, though. The Browns didn’t have key players like Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, or Jerry Jeudy present, and the players who did participate were out there in shorts. No serious NFL franchise would use voluntary workouts in April as a clear indication of anything, other than light install, conditioning, and team bonding.

Then again, no serious NFL franchise would seriously consider Watson as its starting quarterback, and the Browns have done themselves no favors in that regard. They’ve rebuilt the infrastructure around the position without adding any serious competition ahead of training camp. This storyline only has life because the team has allowed it to. 

It’s safe to assume that all of the Browns’ positive momentum would instantly vanish if Watson were to be named the team’s Week 1 starter this summer. ESPN analyst Ben Solak provided a teaser Wednesday of how the national reaction to that move would go:

"There have been 907 seasons of at least 200 passing attempts this century. Deshaun Watson's 2024 season ranks 902nd in yards per dropback. He has torn his Achilles twice since then."

One decision at quarterback could erase all of Cleveland’s offseason progress

It’s been over 550 days (and counting) since Watson suffered a torn Achilles tendon in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 20, 2024. He hasn’t thrown a real NFL pass since and is now entering his age-31 season.

The kicker? Watson was historically bad during that 2024 season. He took 33 sacks in less than seven full games, which put him on a season-long pace for over 80. The Browns had lost five straight games, were woeful on third down (converting less than 20 percent of the time), and Watson was dead-last in the NFL in ESPN’s Total QBR (21.5). 

Resuming that experience two years later would be a kick in the teeth to the Browns’ loyal fan base. Watson only remains on the roster because his contract would be too crippling from a salary cap perspective to release him anytime prior to March 2027. He’s not a “bridge” to anything outside of a reminder of just how bad Browns fans have had it under Jimmy Haslam’s ownership.

None of this is to say that Sanders has to be the answer this year. He would hardly be the NFL’s first fifth-round quarterback to get an extended look as a starter only to get demoted, traded, or released.

But if the Browns conclude in training camp that Watson’s their best option? That would just put the finishing touches on an organization-wide blunder stemming from poor planning and a complete lack of conviction.

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