Deshaun Watson and Browns are stuck in a $230 million dumpster fire
By Matt Sidney
It’s time to address the burning wreck that is Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns. The Browns went all-in on Watson, hoping he’d be their franchise savior, but instead, they've tied themselves to a $230 million catastrophe they can't escape. This isn’t just bad QB play, it’s a full-blown disaster.
And it's dragging down the entire organization.
Let’s get real: Watson’s 2024 season has been historically bad. His passer rating is tanking, his decision-making is questionable at best, and the Browns’ offense is sinking under the weight of his erratic performances. But the Browns aren’t even considering a change, and it’s not because Watson gives them their "best chance to win."
The truth is darker: his fully guaranteed contract means Cleveland is financially trapped. They can’t cut him, they can’t trade him, and no backup is going to step in to save the day without the front office admitting they made a colossal mistake.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski is left with little choice but to back his sinking QB. Benching Watson would be career suicide for a coach already on the hot seat. The Browns have hitched their future to Watson, and Stefanski’s job is on the line if this ship goes down, which it clearly is. It’s one thing to gamble big on a quarterback; it’s another to watch that gamble blow up in real-time, week after week.
Baltimore Ravens fans aren't remotely envious of Cleveland Browns fans
Cleveland fans are used to heartbreak, but this takes it to another level.
They were sold on the idea Watson would bring them back to relevance. Instead, they're watching an elite defense get wasted by an offense led by a quarterback who looks more lost than ever. Watson’s off-field baggage, combined with his on-field regression, has Browns fans stuck in a nightmare they can’t wake up from.
Spoiler: it doesn’t. The Browns are locked into Watson for the long haul, and he’s showing no signs of returning to his old form.
There’s no easy solution, no hero, and no trade that can undo the financial mess hanging over this franchise. Cleveland bet big on Watson, and now they’re facing the costly consequences, with the price only increasing. Deshaun Watson was supposed to be the missing piece for the Browns, but instead, he’s become a $230 million cautionary tale.
And the worst part? Cleveland’s stuck in this burning dumpster fire for the foreseeable future.