Cleveland Browns $230 Million Investment In Deshaun Watson Has Delivered No Dividends
Those five passes Deshaun Watson threw last week for the Cleveland Browns told the story. It's a sad story for the Browns and a cautionary tale for the entire NFL.
Watson, clearly playing with a right (throwing) rotator cuff that is not fully healed, completed only one of those five fateful throws. The one completion he managed gained only 5 yards. And it matched the number of interceptions Watson also threw in his five attempts.
So, um, yikes!
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 18: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns warms up before kickoff against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on September 18, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Deshaun Watson Nursing Shoulder This Week
But this is more than just a bad day at the office. Firstly, it wasn't even a full work day because Watson got knocked out of the game with a couple of injury issues before the first quarter was over. He was evaluated for a concussion and the team said he passed the exam. And the hit he took apparently re-aggravated the rotator cuff.
"I just feel like with what happened in the game, landing on the shoulder, there’s residual swelling that’s affecting his throwing," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Wednesday.
The rough outing added another chapter to the unfulfilling body of work Browns fans have seen from Watson since he arrived in the spring of 2022.
Bottom line: Deshaun Watson has delivered more bad news than good since he was traded from Houston to the Browns for three first-round draft picks and then signed to his fateful and controversial $230 million contract.
That's the narrative shadowing Watson now. Big contract. Huge investment. High expectations.
But, so far, precious little dividend for the trouble.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - OCTOBER 22: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 22, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Watson Not Playing For Browns On Sunday
Watson didn't return after he was knocked out of the game against the Colts. And he's not coming back this week because Stefanski announced Watson is out for Sunday's game at the Seattle Seahawks.
"I think it’s the best thing for him to rest this week," the coach said. "I feel like this is the best decision for this week.
"He's trying like crazy. This is not for lack of effort. He's making every effort he can to be out there. But with the hit he took, with the swelling, it makes the most sense to focus on rehab this week and then he'll be out there as soon as he's ready."
Watson is managing a subscapularis strain in the rotator cuff. He reportedly suffered the injury initially in a Sept. 24 victory over the Titans.
So Watson is about to miss his third of four games in October. And he never made it out of the first quarter in the game he did play.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - OCTOBER 22: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns walks off the field after beating the Indianapolis Colts 39-38 at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 22, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Watson Has 11 TDs And 8 Interceptions
This is not what the Browns expected when they signed him to that whopping and controversial fully guaranteed contract before the 2022 season.
To say the results have been a disappointment is an understatement.
Watson's contract calls for him to collect $91.4 million by the end of his second season, which is this season. And so far he's earned the money by playing 10 games, throwing 11 touchdown passes, and 8 interceptions.
And if you're thinking the Browns should start considering an end game here, just in case this underwhelming trend continues, that is not happening. Because it cannot.
Because every single penny of the contract they gave Watson is fully guaranteed and the cost of moving on would cripple Cleveland's salary cap structure.
So no wonder other teams have pushed back on the idea of giving any top quarterback a similar deal. Because the Cleveland model is quite frightening when the player involved doesn't perform to expectations.
It can be argued we're talking about a small sample size here.
After all, Watson was suspended 11 games by the NFL last year so it wasn't his fault he had to miss those games. Except, well, it was his fault.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 18: Head coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns speaks with Deshaun Watson #4 during warmups prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on September 18, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Browns Have No Recourse But To Hope
This injury certainly is not his fault. That much is true. Stefanski said an MRI revealed Watson didn't suffer structural damage but it's the swelling that must be addressed.
That makes the investment in Watson no less unsatisfying because this was supposed to be the no-excuses season in which he promised "a lot of Ws."
And no one can help add Ws while sidelined.
No one in Cleveland is saying when Watson will return. And, here's the bigger problem, no one can predict with any certainty the quarterback will be able to play at a high level at whatever point he does return.
In that sense the quarterback that cost $230 million guaranteed comes with no guarantees.
So the Browns are reduced to just being hopeful. They're hopeful Watson comes back. They're hopeful backup quarterback P.J. Walker can continue to do relative little harm in Watson's absence.
They signed up for this bumpy ride. All they can do is strap themselves in because there is no getting off even if it gets worse.
"This is our quarterback, it's a shoulder injury, so you're taking in information every single day," Stefanski said. "We'll continue to just make the smart decisions for our football team, for him."