Deshaun Watson enters a critical year in his career. He hasn't nearly lived up to the blockbuster trade and subsequent fully guaranteed deal he received from the Cleveland Browns two years ago.
His suspension, various injuries and inconsistent play have rendered Watson — at best — a mid-tier quarterback heading into 2024. That can all change if he stays healthy and performs with a different offensive coordinator on the sideline, but history doesn't bode well for him this year.
The numbers paint a very frustrating picture of the Browns: He's completed fewer than 60% of his passes for 184.8 yards per game, 14 total passing touchdowns and nine interceptions. The 8-4 record is nice, but he's played in just six games in each of the past two seasons. The Browns made the playoffs in 2023 primarily because of their defense and Joe Flacco, not Watson.
Pro Football Focus's Bradley Locker agrees. He wrote that Watson is one of the top 10 players with the most to prove this year because of how unspectacular he's been in a Browns uniform. Apart from his pedestrian baseline stats, Watson finished with better than a 75.0 PFF grade just once since 2021.
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This isn't to say that the Browns would just release Watson outright if he underperforms again in 2024. Cleveland would have to deal with a $138 million dead cap hit over the next two seasons if that happens. But the scrutiny on Watson will surely be more focused this year given the Browns' success without him this past year.
It's not like Cleveland hasn't done anything to help him recently, either. The Browns added receivers Elijah Moore and Jerry Jeudy in consecutive offseasons alongside Amari Cooper, built arguably the best defense in football with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and added running backs this year in the event Nick Chubb isn't ready to return from his knee injuries for Week 1.
All eyes are on Watson this season, too, after the Browns gave contract extensions to head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry. Those deals signaled that ownership has faith in that duo to continue on even in the event of another flop from Watson in 2024.
