When the Cleveland Browns acquired Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans on March 18, 2022, they were hoping they found their long-term solution at the quarterback position. They were so confident in Watson that they were willing to give him a fully guaranteed deal worth $230 million over five years. This unprecedented move was extremely questionable at the time due to the numerous accusations against Watson, and now it somehow looks even worse given his on-field struggles and devastating injury.
Let’s examine why Watson is currently sidelined, his recent struggles, and what it all means for his future in Cleveland.
Why Isn’t Deshaun Watson Playing?
During the Browns’ Week 7 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Watson suffered a season-ending ruptured Achilles.
While making a move to scramble, he pushed off using his right leg and immediately went down. It didn’t take long for the Browns to confirm that Watson was out for the season.
Deshaun Watson just ruptured his Achilles.
Jameis Winston is inactive today.. pic.twitter.com/QQqM57qVl1
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) October 20, 2024
Watson started the first seven games of the season for the Browns, but now Jameis Winston is starting in Watson’s place.
Watson’s stint with Cleveland has been plagued by injuries. Over the last three seasons (from 2022 to 2024), Watson played in just 19 games. Over that span, he threw for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with a 61.2% completion percentage.
When asked about Watson’s future with the team, general manager Andrew Berry said that the organization is looking to the future and considering all options.
“Really our focus with Deshaun — I would say for any player with a season-ending injury and a major injury — is first and foremost with the recovery and to make sure he gets healthy from the Achilles injury,” Berry said in November. “Everything else we’ll deal with at a later moment.”
Prior to his injury, Watson was arguably the worst starting quarterback in the league this season, throwing for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions with a 63.4% completion percentage.
MORE: Breaking Down Deshaun Watson’s Massive Contract
Through seven weeks, Watson not only had zero 300-yard passing games, he had zero 200-yard passing games. And he averaged a mere 21.1 rushing yards per game, accounting for six touchdowns and six turnovers.
Watson currently ranks No. 39 in PFN’s QB+ metric, receiving an F grade. Even before getting hurt, Watson was in the bottom five for nearly every metric, including third-down conversion rate, nYPA, passing from a clean pocket, and passing when under pressure.
Last one: No quarterback with 200+ dropbacks in Weeks 1-7 since at least 2000 has a lower EPA per dropback average than Deshaun Watson.
Not just a new Browns low, a new league low for Weeks 1-7.
— Austin Gayle (@austingayle_) October 20, 2024
With Watson starting, Cleveland lost six of their first seven games, and the offense was sputtering. Under Winston, the Browns are 2-2 with impressive wins over the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, and the offense looks much better.
Winston’s numbers are better across the board, but it remains to be seen what the Browns will do in 2025. Winston will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, while Watson is under contract through the 2026 campaign. The fact that Watson’s deal is fully guaranteed makes it very difficult for Cleveland to move on.
If the Browns cut Watson after this season, they would have a 2025 dead-cap hit of $118.9 million (including $92 million cash) and a 2026 dead-cap hit of $53.8 million.
The Watson contract will likely go down as the worst in NFL history. It’s one thing to mortgage the future for a franchise QB. It’s another thing to mortgage the future for a mediocre starter. What the Browns did is unprecedented: they mortgaged their future for one of the worst starting quarterbacks in recent memory and gave him a fully guaranteed contract for some reason despite a ton of off-field allegations that painted an ugly picture.
