The Cleveland Browns fell to 1-4 with a loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday after yet another dispiriting performance by quarterback Deshaun Watson.
The embattled Browns signal caller passed for only 125 yards in the loss, the fewest yards he’s thrown for in either of the last two seasons (not including a game he left due to injury). Watson threw for one touchdown in the 34-13 defeat — but it came in the fourth quarter with Cleveland already trailing by 28 points.
Watson has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL entering Week 5.
He began Sunday with a 23.6 quarterback rating, last among all qualifying quarterbacks. His 181.8 yards per game passing through four weeks was sixth-worst among quarterbacks who played at least four games.
After five games, Watson has thrown for only five touchdowns while tossing three interceptions.
It’s been a downward trend for Watson ever since he began playing for the Browns toward the end of the 2022 season. His QBR in each of the last two seasons would have been in the bottom third of the league, but he did not qualify in either season because he didn’t play enough snaps.
Watson’s poor performance is something of a triple whammy for Cleveland: The team is losing games, his contract is onerous, and former Browns quarterbacks are thriving with other teams.
Watson is only 9-8 in 17 games as a starter over three seasons with Cleveland, and has yet to appear in a playoff game.
Meanwhile, Watson is second among all quarterbacks in guaranteed money, with an inflexible contract. If the Browns cut Watson before June 1, 2025, they would owe him $92 million while taking nearly a $173 million hit against their salary cap. If Cleveland cuts Watson after that date, it would still incur over $86 million in penalties in each of the next two seasons.
To add insult to injury, quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Joe Flacco have found success elsewhere.
Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick by Cleveland in the 2018 draft, won a playoff game for the franchise before he was cast aside in favor of Watson. Mayfield won a playoff game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season, and he has led the team to a 3-2 record this year, scoring 13 touchdowns with only two interceptions.
Even Watson’s former backup Flacco — who threw more touchdowns than Watson in fewer games with the Browns in 2023 — is playing better. Flacco has five touchdowns and no interceptions in two games with the Indianapolis Colts this season. Flacco’s 359 yards Sunday were more than Watson has thrown in any game with Cleveland.
All of the struggles for the Browns and Watson have come in the wake of his sexual assault scandal that effectively cost Watson the 2021 season as well as the first 11 games of 2022.
Between March and April 2021, 22 women sued Watson with claims ranging from sexual misconduct to assault.
Cleveland still traded three first-round picks and two other draft picks for Watson in March 2022, and signed him at the time to what was the largest contract — with the most guaranteed money — in NFL history.
On Sept. 9, Watson was sued by a new accuser for sexual assault and battery.
After Sunday’s loss, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski stood by Watson.
“We’re not changing quarterbacks,” Stefanski said.
