The Cleveland Browns have been towards the bottom of the basement over the last few seasons, and the starting QBs have been one of the biggest issues during this time. The team has decided to move forward with Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback, and honestly, I don’t think anyone should be that surprised.
The team is paying him a lot of money! 46 Million bucks per year, way too much money to leave on the bench. Therefore they need to try to make things work with him. Hence why I am not surprised he was named the starter before the pre-season has even ended. But will he be any better than what the team has had over the last few years?
Browns QB Situation
2024
- Deshaun Watson: 7 starts, 1-6 record, 1,148 yards, 5 TDs, 3 INTs
- Jameis Winston: 7 starts, 2-5 record, 2,121 yards, 13 TDs, 12 INTs
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson: 2 starts, 0-2 record, 440 yards, 0 TDs, 6 INTs
- Bailey Zappe: 1 start, 0-1 record, 170 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
2025
- Joe Flacco: 4 starts, 1-3 record, 815 yards, 2 TDs, 6 INTs
- Dillon Gabriel: 6 starts, 1-5 record, 937 yards, 7 TDs, 2 INTs
- Shedeur Sanders: 7 starts, 3-4 record, 1,400 yards, 7 TDs, 10 INTs
That’s seven different starting quarterbacks in two seasons. We see in football all the time that the QB is key to making a team win. And without a permanent starter, the Browns have really struggled.
Can Deshaun Watson be the guy from 2020
When Cleveland traded for Watson in 2022, they went all in. They gave up three first-round picks and then handed him a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract.
To be fair, at the time Watson was very good. Go back to his final season playing for Houston in 2020: (Watson’s Stats)
- 4,823 passing yards
- 33 touchdowns
- 7 interceptions
- 70.2% completion percentage
- 112.4 passer rating
He led the NFL in passing yards and went to the Pro Bowl. That’s why Cleveland gave up what they did to get him. We haven’t seen anything close to that Watson in Cleveland. By making him the starter, the team hopes he gets back to his days in 2020.
Will Deshaun Watson Work With the Cleveland Browns?
Honestly, it’s tough to say. There have been times in the NFL where Watson has looked like one of the best quarterbacks in the league. There have also been times where he has looked like he couldn’t even make an XFL or UFL team. To say the least, it’s been a mixture of ups and downs throughout his career. Between the distractions off the field and his poor play on the field, the last few years have been a complete disaster.
If Watson can somehow get back to the way he played in 2020, this decision will look phenomenal. But if he can’t, the Browns need to find a way to win without him. Whether that’s Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, or eventually moving on to another young quarterback, this team needs answers.
More importantly, this fan base needs a solution. The Browns continuing to be a complete disaster on the field is something this fan base isn’t going to accept forever.
