Things haven't gone as planned in Cleveland since the Browns traded for and signed quarterback Deshaun Watson to a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract in 2022.
In just 19 starts as the Browns starter, the 29-year-old has just a 9-10 record while throwing 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He's also missed 26 games—11 due to suspension and 15 due to injury.
According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, Cleveland's plan going forward with Watson is to "add competition" to the quarterback room alongside him.
"The plan, going forward, isn’t the same as it has been," Breer writes. "Until now, the Browns have built a quarterback room to support Watson. This year, they’ll look, through the draft and/or the veteran market, to add competition to the room. So while the likelihood—because of the injury and the contract—is Watson will be back, the Browns are going to look to do more than just stop-gap the backup spot."
If they were to cut him, Cleveland would carry a dead cap hit of $172.77 million. So for now, he stays with a twist.
Cleveland does, however, plan to move forward with general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski beyond this season—with an "acknowledgment that everyone has to shoulder their part of the blame for the [Watson] trade."
"The Haslams like the job that Stefanski has done keeping the team together," reports Breer. "They’re going to evaluate anything and everything after the season, but Stefanski and Berry have given them the sustainable model they chased for the eight years before both of those guys arrived in Northeast Ohio."
For the rest of this season, Cleveland will likely stick with quarterback Jameis Winston under center. They're 3-8 heading into their bye week and will take on the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, and Baltimore Ravens the rest of the way.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Browns Will Look to Add QB Competitors Alongside Deshaun Watson in 2025.
