Troy Aikman said what all Cleveland Browns fans have been thinking about Deshaun Watson during Monday’s loss to the Denver Broncos.
Watson is currently recovering from a season-ending Achilles rupture. It’s his second consecutive season-ending injury and he’s been limited to just 17 games through three seasons in Cleveland.
However, even when healthy, Watson’s play on the field had been rough, and there were calls for his benching before the Achilles injury. During the Monday Night Football broadcast, Aikman pondered the question of what the Browns season could have been if Cleveland yanked Watson as the starter earlier.
“You know, this year hasn’t been what people thought coming in but the albatross is Deshaun Watson. If you go to Jameis Winston earlier in the year, does this look different?” Aikman said. “Because I would say the defensive struggles, in at least a small part, have had to do with how inept the offense has been moving the football. I think it’s affected the defensive play, as well.”
With Watson as the starter, the Browns failed to score 20 points and he never surpassed 200 yards through the air. Cleveland went 1-6 in the games Watson started.
The major issue with Watson lies in his fully guaranteed $230 million contract, which runs through 2026. The Browns also sacrificed significant draft capital, including three first-round picks and additional assets, to acquire him in 2022. The heavy investment has granted Watson a much longer leash than he might otherwise deserve.
However, the Browns did not commit to Watson as their starting quarterback moving forward following the Achilles injury.
“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 that he gets healthy from the Achilles injury,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said on Wednesday, November 6. “Everything else we’ll deal with at a later moment.”
In a Browns uniform, Watson has passed for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. That doesn’t stack up to his final season in Houston in 2020, where he led the league with 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Browns Looking to Add Competition to QB Room
The Browns are in a tough spot at the quarterback position moving forward. But the team wants to add some competition to the QB room, whether that be through the draft or free agency, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
“The plan, going forward, isn’t the same as it has been,” Breer said. “Until now, the Browns have built a quarterback room to support Watson. This year, they’ll look, through the draft and/or the veteran market, to add competition to the room. So while the likelihood—because of the injury and the contract— is Watson will be back, the Browns are going to look to do more than just stop-gap the backup spot.”
The Browns may also opt to keep Winston around moving forward, using the final games of the season as a proving ground for the former No. 1 overall pick. His playmaking ability has brought energy to the offense, and his willingness to take shots downfield keeps defenses on edge. However, his tendency for turnovers — highlighted against the Broncos — remains a concern that could influence the team’s decision.
Winston set the single-game franchise record with 497 passing yards against Denver. But he also tossed a pair of interceptions that were returned for touchdowns in the 41-32 loss.
