Browns QB Deshaun Watson hit with ultimate disrespect from NFL analyst
By Randy Gurzi
At this point, it's surprising when Deshaun Watson isn't being bashed when his name is mentioned. The Cleveland Browns starting quarterback was acquired in one of the most polarizing trades in league history.
Despite facing more than 20 accusations of sexual assault, Cleveland sent a package of draft picks to the Houston Texans. That deal included three first-round selections and to top it off, the Browns signed him to a five-year extension worth a fully guaranteed $235 million.
General manager Andrew Berry was willing to give him the historical contract in order to get Watson to sign off on the deal. To this day, however, he's taken criticism for the move. That continued heading into the 2024 campaign as Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report selected Watson as the quarterback on his "All-Overpaid Team."
"With a deal that totals $46 million annually, the 28-year-old is being compensated as one of the top signal-callers in football. However, Watson has failed to produce at any level beyond sub-standard since his arrival in Cleveland, and he could enter the fall with a short leash considering the depth chart of talent behind him should things go even further south." - Fowler, Bleacher Report
Watson's deal has been surpassed in terms of annual average but no other quarterback has received a five-year deal with full guarantees. It's also hard to find many quarterbacks outside of Watson who have been as much of a disappointment after landing such a deal. Russell Wilson might be the only one close. And if we're being honest, he produced more than Watson despite being let go by Denver.
Heading into his third season with the franchise, Watson has appeared in just 12 games. Cleveland was 5-1 in his six starts last year, although one of those saw him throw just five passes. Still, he's been wildly inaccurate and has just 14 touchdowns against nine picks.
Watson is working his way back from shoulder surgery and aims to silence the critics this season. We'll have to wait to see if he can do this but until then, the hits will keep coming.