It’s finally over, Cleveland Browns fans; the Deshuan Watson nightmare that has been hanging over the team has finally been put to rest after the Browns went out with backup quarterback Jameis Winston and beat one of the hottest teams in the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens 29-24.
Last week, Watson ended his 2024 season by tearing his Achilles. At the time, many people thought he could be the Browns’ starter again when he gets healthy sometime next season since Cleveland still has two years of guaranteed money to give him.
Deshaun Watson’s Cleveland Browns Career Is Over
It would be a long shot for Watson to put on a Browns helmet again after some fans cheered after he got injured. The team was going down a path where they would be in a nice spot to pick a rookie quarterback, but Winston’s play on Sunday showed everyone that Watson was the major issue on the team and why they fell to a 1-6 record to start the season.
Every quarterback who has taken under center for the Cleveland Browns in a meaningful game, not named Watson, in the last two years has been better at operating the offense. When P. J. Walker, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Joe Flacco, and Jameis Winston have all been able to win major games against big-time opponents, you know Kevin Stefanski and his offense were never the issue; it was the guy trying to run it.
Winston threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday, and Watson never threw for even 200 yards once this season in six full games.
Watson in Cleveland never worked out, and there is no reason to let him be under center again. When multiple quarterbacks who are career backups and one guy sitting on the couch come in and throw for over 300 yards, you know who the major issue was.
Brown’s offense was better in every area of the game with Winston under center, the offensive line blocked well, the receivers were open and getting the ball, and the quarterback wasn’t taking 10-yard sacks on second down and trying to pick up 15 yards on third down to move the chains.
Cleveland now hopes to turn this season around and save its culture, but it wasted any chance of making the playoffs by playing Watson for seven games despite knowing how bad he was.
