Deshaun Watson has worn out his welcome with many around the Cleveland Browns, and even winning the starting job may do little to change that.
Jason Lloyd of The Athletic expects Watson to beat out Shedeur Sanders during training camp. However, he believes handing Watson the job would only waste more time for a franchise that needs to find its long-term answer at quarterback.
“Two things are true: I fully expect Watson to win the starting quarterback job coming out of camp, and I have no interest in watching him take another snap for this team,” Lloyd said.
Watson is entering the final season of the fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract the Browns gave him after acquiring him from the Houston Texans in 2022. Injuries and a lengthy suspension have limited him to 19 appearances with Cleveland.
Lloyd believes the Browns should stop trying to extract value from a deal that has already done significant damage to the franchise.
“The term sunk cost fallacy means nothing in Berea,” Lloyd wrote. “I don’t pretend to understand this team’s fascination with trying to squeeze some return out of a bad investment. Even if Watson managed to stay healthy and play moderately decent football this season, is there any chance they give him another contract? The answer had better be absolutely not, which makes playing him feel like an enormous waste of time.”
Andrew Berry Leaves Door Open for Deshaun Watson
Browns general manager Andrew Berry is not ready to concede that Watson has no future in Cleveland. Berry was asked why the team would not prioritize Sanders if head coach Todd Monken believes both quarterbacks are capable of starting. His answer made it clear that the Browns will not base their decision on age, contracts, or long-term potential alone.
“I wouldn’t rule anything out in terms of the whole quarterback-of-the-future discussion,” Berry said. “Ultimately, we’re going to play the player who’s the most productive on the field. … I think Deshaun is only 30. There’s no need to make any decisions about the future right now. We’ll let it play out and figure it out as we go.”
Berry also pushed back against the idea that the Browns need to settle the competition soon. He gave the same timeline as head coach Todd Monken.
“I think it’s important to have the starting quarterback named before Week 1,” Berry said.
Browns QB Competition Remains Wide Open
For now, the Browns are giving both quarterbacks a legitimate opportunity with the starting offense. Watson opened training camp with the first-team unit. Sanders received his turn one day later as Monken followed through on his plan to alternate the two leading candidates.
“I don’t have any preconceived notions of how they played in the past or how they’re going to play. I only can, with my eyes, judge. And guys got to play well around them. I think we’ve shored up some things up front,” Monken said. “We’ve added some weapons on the perimeter, so I think that’s going to help. But they’ll decide who plays. I don’t decide who plays. The players decide who plays.”
The competition will become more meaningful when the Browns put on pads and begin preseason play. Their first exhibition game is Aug. 15 against the Chicago Bears.
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