The Cleveland Browns made arguably the most polarizing move of 2022 this past offseason by trading for and signing Deshaun Watson to a fully-guaranteed $230 million deal. This was supposed to take the team into a new stratosphere, where they are perennial contenders.
Yet the 11-game suspension handed down to the quarterback put those plans in jeopardy for the 2022 season. Jacoby Brissett did play admirably, however, and Watson returned with the Browns at 4-7. If he could return a hero and win out, the season would not be a waste. Instead, he had another rough performance Sunday as another season appears to be down the drain in Cleveland.
Deshaun Watson failed to step up in Cincinnati
Watson and the Browns tried to sweep Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Yet again, Watson was shaky and a horrific interception summed up his day in the 23-10 defeat to drop the team to 5-8 and realistically out of the playoff race. 26/42 for 276 yards and a touchdown is not terrible, but he did nothing to take his offense to the next level as he was signed to do.
Patient Browns fans will claim this was always part of the plan. The quarterback would return and use the final six games of the season to prepare for 2023.
The problem is that time moves quickly in the NFL. Players like Myles Garrett, Nick Chubb, Denzel Ward, and many others will be another year older next season. Primes are potentially being wasted when such a project is not necessary for the franchise.
The $230 million man should indeed return in 2023 much better than he is now, given he will have a normal offseason of preparation. But will this roster be this stacked? The team is already without a first-round pick, and free agents may want to avoid Cleveland if they believe a coaching change is on the horizon.
Patience, as a concept, is fine. However, all NFL fans know that organizations are impatient. While the Browns focus on being patient, teams like the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, and several others continue to improve. And that’s just in the AFC.
The Browns are falling behind and anything other than a dominant start from Watson to open the 2023 season may signal major changes coming in Cleveland. History could repeat itself very soon if the quarterback keeps playing as he did on Sunday.
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