As the Cleveland Browns attempt to move forward from the worst trade and contract extension in NFL history, it's hard not to look back at just how bad the entire Deshaun Watson experiment has been for the team and the city.
Watson has not only been a complete no-show for the team because of suspensions linked to 20+ sexual assault allegations, injuries, and terrible quarterback play, but the Browns have faced rightful backlash for overlooking those issues for so long in hopes that he'd somehow win so much for the team that his transgressions would be ignored.
On a much less consequential note, though, something that has been reported recently in the The Athletic should frustrate any Browns fan who saw the team go from incredibly promising to incredibly terrible between 2023 and 2024, and it has to do with Joe Flacco's incredible year with the team.
Joe Flacco picked up offense faster in one month than Watson did in two years, per report
Flacco, who was the veteran quarterback who slotted in for Watson after he suffered yet another injury during the Browns 2023 season, led the team to an exciting 11-6 finish and a postseason appearance against the Houston Texans. While they didn't end up advancing, it felt obvious that Flacco had to be kept on board for 2024 just in case Watson still wasn't 100% in Week 1.
Instead, the team let him walk and they signed Jameis Winston as their veteran backup instead, which ended up working out for only a few weeks in 2024 after Watson went down with a season-ending Achilles injury.
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The choice to not re-sign Flacco felt bad prior to 2024, but after a new report was published by Jason Lloyd in the Athletic on Wednesday, the decision to let him walk feels even worse.
"After Watson’s 2023 season ended prematurely with a broken bone in his shoulder, Joe Flacco joined the Browns in December and resurrected his career by throwing for 300 yards in four consecutive games — something Watson failed to do once in 19 starts with the Browns. It was an embarrassing exposure of the franchise quarterback. The problem was never the scheme," said Lloyd in the end of season piece.
Lloyd added that he had heard from someone in the organization towards the end of 2023, “'You have to bring Joe back; somebody has to teach Deshaun the offense.'”
“'Joe picked it up faster in 30 days than Deshaun has in two years,'" added Lloyd about what was said to him about Flacco's performance in 2023.
Of course, the Browns proceeded to punt their opportunity to keep him on and have Watson learn from him, and instead reportedly were content to let Watson do his own thing in training camp prior to the start of the season instead of learning the playbook. The results of that were glaringly obvious on the field in his seven weeks of action.