Commitment is scary. NFL owners are not immune.
As of now, Deshaun Watson remains a piece of the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback puzzle. Especially with two guaranteed years left on his contract.
As of later, franchise owner Jimmy Haslam isn’t certain where the 29-year-old fits in.
“We need to get through the season and we will look at everything,” Haslam told ESPN when asked about the Browns’ future under center.
Call it ambiguity by design. At least it’s finally being admitted.
And while the owner’s words for his signal-caller aren’t exactly a vote of no-confidence, considering that he had just gotten through defending his coach and general manager, they certainly don’t inspire confidence either.
“We went from 11-6 and making the playoffs to 3-10, so it’s a little perplexing what happened,” Haslam said as he departed from the NFL owners meetings Wednesday.
In trying to figure out why the Browns are 3-10 and in last place in the AFC North, Watson’s play surely will come up in discussions.
Once heralded as the franchise quarterback, Watson was a disaster when healthy this season.
The seventh-year signal caller competed in seven games — amassing 1,148 passing yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions — before sustaining a season-ending Achilles injury against the Bengals.
Calls for Watson’s benching had begun raining down long before that Week 7 contest, and the quarterback might’ve been riding pine from had the Browns not inked him to a record-setting and fully guaranteed $230 million contract ahead of the 2022 season.
With $92 million in guaranteed money remaining on that deal over the next two seasons, cutting Watson would lead to a debilitating dead cap hit.
Jameis Winston has been only marginally better in place of the injured Watson, but he has at least made Cleveland’s passing attack functional.
Amid a season riddled by divisiveness and derision, Winston has been one of the Browns few spots of brightness and enlightenment.
He might be their future, too, although the Browns currently own the No. 8 pick and could potentially be in play for one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 draft class.
While Watson’s future is uncertain, Haslam reiterated his belief that the right personnel — including head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry — are already in the building.
“We’re very supportive,” the owner said.
Supportive, but disappointed.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do … [but] I’ve learned not to get too emotional during the season. We will sit down after the season [and] go through everything for next year,” said Haslam.
