Could Deshaun Watson's time in Cleveland be over? Sky Sports NFL's Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reinebold discuss the future of the Browns quarterback; listen to Inside the Huddle on Spotify and YouTube throughout the 2024 NFL season
Monday 21 October 2024 19:49, UK
The Cleveland Browns would be better served 'cutting their losses' by parting with quarterback Deshaun Watson following his season-ending injury, believe Sky Sports NFL's Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reinebold.
Watson was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign on Monday after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon during Sunday's loss at home to the Cincinnati Bengals.
He was carted off in tears to the sound of cheers from certain sections of fans, prompting criticism from Browns team-mates Myles Garrett and Jameis Winston after the game as they defended the former Houston Texans play-caller.
Cleveland handed Watson a fully-guaranteed five-year $230m deal after acquiring him in a trade from the Texans in March 2022. Watson had missed the entire 2021 season following the emergence of multiple sexual harassment allegations, and would later serve an 11-game suspension in 2022 as more than 24 women accused him of sexual misconduct. He has since settled more than two dozen lawsuits outside of court.
"When Myles Garrett, Browns defensive end, stands at the podium after the game and says Deshaun Watson has been a model citizen on and off the field throughout his college and professional career, that doesn't ring true to me," said Reynolds on Inside the Huddle.
"It's proven to be a disaster of the move. A bit like when you roll the dice on a veteran, Denver's move for Russell Wilson was a disaster, now he's with Pittsburgh.
"They were so desperate to find an answer and there was a little bit of a market, more of a market than we expected for Deshaun Watson given all the baggage, and with what we knew was coming suspension wise.
"It was a real risky move by the Browns that has backfired clearly. I'm of the opinion that you have to pay that money anyway, it's fully guaranteed, do you pay it and roll him out there Week One [next season] to more boos and disgruntlement or do you say 'okay, we'll cut our losses here, let's get him out the building and start again'?
"I would be for getting him out the building and starting again."
Watson made six starts upon his return from suspension in 2022, before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury after just six starts in 2023.
He has not thrown for more than 200 yards in a game for the Browns this season while having a quarterback rating of just 23.4 within the league's worst-ranked offense in total yards.
Watson was notably booed by Cleveland fans during pre-game player introductions on Sunday.
"The bottom line is the bottom line. Here's a guy who had multiple lawsuits of sexual misconduct, that doesn't go away, people don't forget that," said Reinebold.
"Fans being fans, they will look past those things if you are successful and win, but when you aren't and you embarrass everybody associated with the franchise, that's the baggage you bring."
Watson had been a three-time Pro Bowler from 2018-2020 and led the NFL in passing yards in 2020 as one of the league's top-performing quarterbacks on the tail of Patrick Mahomes after being drafted with the 12th overall pick in 2017.
He has since looked a shade of the player that twice guided Houston to the playoffs.
"Ownership said 'he's worth it to us because we think he's one of the best quarterbacks in the league'," Reinebold continued.
"If you look with hindsight, it's not a great move, because you suffer all that backlash when you bring him in, he doesn't play because he's suspended for a long time, he comes back and he's ineffective and now he's hurt and you've got $230m of guaranteed money you have to pay.
"I think you have to move on. There are a lot of good things on that roster, you saw Nick Chubb come back, there's a lot of good players, Kevin Stefanski is a good football coach, but that has been such a nightmare.
"What's hardest for ownership sometimes is to admit when you were wrong. People will be forgiving if you're forthright and say you made a mistake."
Week Eight begins Thursday night when the Minnesota Vikings visit the Los Angeles Rams from 1.15am in the early hours of Friday, live on Sky Sports NFL; Also stream with NOW.
