At this point, it seems impossible for Kevin Stefanski to think that Deshaun Watson is the answer at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. Or, at the very least, it seems impossible for him to think that Jameis Winston would be worse than Deshaun Watson has been this season. But after another dismal performance from Watson, the Browns head coach didn’t mince words about who the Browns QB is.
#Browns Kevin Stefanski “we’re not changing quarterbacks” pic.twitter.com/mKOo6WvtDy
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) October 6, 2024
“We’re not changing quarterbacks. We need to play better, I need to coach better,” Stefanski said postgame, after Watson threw for just 125 yards and Cleveland got stomped by Washington, 34-13, leaving the Browns at 1-4.
There is precisely one reason why Cleveland continues trotting out Deshaun Watson every Sunday only for him to flail around and lead the Browns to a loss, and that’s the fact he’s making $230 million to do it. As the head coach, Stefanski has to be the one who publicly defends Watson, but how much power does he really have in deciding whether Watson is the team’s QB each week? It’s hard to believe that Stefanski — who, despite everything, has mostly been a succesful coach for the Browns — thinks Watson gives the team its best chance of winning.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslem, meanwhile, defended the Watson contract in 2023 when asked about whether he regretted the deal.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam defends Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed contract: “We did what we thought was in the best interest of our team. We still feel that way”https://t.co/P3KftkigDi pic.twitter.com/lBDW4bamei
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) March 28, 2023
If the Browns bench Deshaun Watson, then his $230 million contract and the pieces Cleveland traded to acquire him are officially wasted. But if the Browns continue to start him, even when he’s actively hurting the team, isn’t that worse than him doing nothing on the bench? It’s like the book “Catch-22″… or something…