Cleveland Browns Need To Move on From Deshaun Watson Era

Cleveland—The Browns’ offseason had been shaping up as their quietest, and perhaps most encouraging, in years. General manager Andrew Berry rebuilt what was statistically the league’s worst offensive line, and, apart from a minor Myles Garrett speeding incident, the club avoided the back-page drama that has stalked it for decades. Then owner Jimmy Haslam spoke, and the familiar cloud of dysfunction returned.

Speaking to reporters, Haslam labeled the 2022 trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson—and the record-setting, fully guaranteed $230 million contract that accompanied it—“a big swing and a miss,” a blunt admission that the organization’s grand gamble has failed. Watson has appeared in only 12 of a possible 34 regular-season games since arriving in Cleveland, posting bottom-tier efficiency numbers when available and undergoing two major shoulder surgeries in as many years.

Despite that assessment, Haslam stopped short of committing to a new direction. Instead, he voiced confidence that offensive coordinator Todd Monken, described as “offensive-minded” and experienced with “all kinds of different quarterbacks,” can resurrect Watson’s career. “Deshaun has a great chance, fresh start,” Haslam said, leaving the door open for Watson to reclaim the starting job in 2026.

The problem, critics argue, is that Watson’s presence blocks any meaningful evaluation of the only other quarterbacks currently on the roster—rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Both youngsters worked behind the same injury-ravaged line that ranked last in sacks allowed a season ago, hardly a fair litmus test for potential franchise cornerstones. Handing Watson another season under center risks repeating the cycle of mediocrity: performances decent enough to keep the Browns out of prime draft position yet insufficient to elevate a roster still lacking difference-makers at receiver, linebacker, and along the defensive interior.

Cleveland could follow the template set by Denver, which absorbed a historic dead-cap charge to part ways with Russell Wilson, endured a short-term talent drain, and still assembled a roster that reached this January’s AFC Championship Game. The Browns, however, appear inclined to “drag the corpse of Watson out on the football field,” as one league source phrased it, rather than swallow the financial pain and pivot toward youth.

Haslam’s public optimism ensures Watson will enter training camp as the presumed starter, barring an unexpected trade partner willing to shoulder portions of the remaining guarantee. If Watson wins the job, Cleveland likely finishes in the 7–10 to 9–8 window—too good for a top-five pick, too poor for postseason relevance—and again misses the opportunity to draft a transformative quarterback in 2027.

For a fan base that has endured two franchise relocations, one perfect 0-16 season, and a revolving door of coaches and front-office executives, the prospect of another season tethered to the Watson era feels like purgatory. Haslam, the source added, “deserves” the on-field ambiguity because he sanctioned the original deal; Watson, in turn, “deserves” an organization still searching for stability.

The Browns have the infrastructure—an improved line, Garrett anchoring the pass rush, and a respected defensive staff—to compete quickly if they solve quarterback. Whether they summon the courage to move on from Watson, contract be damned, will determine if 2026 is another lost season or the first chapter of a long-awaited turnaround.