Browns GM refuses to decide to Deshaun Watson as group’s long-term QB

The one certainty about Deshaun Watson’s future with the Browns is that they owe him $92m over the subsequent two years. All the pieces else in regards to the quarterback is up within the air.

At a information convention on Wednesday, Browns normal supervisor Andrew Berry was principally noncommittal about Watson, saying he hasn’t dominated out the divisive QB coming again to play for Cleveland in 2025 regardless of one other vital damage, three disappointing seasons and a cut up fanbase.

Watson is recovering from a season-ending ruptured achilles tendon sustained final month. That, together with Watson being among the many lowest-rated quarterbacks within the NFL this season, has led to hypothesis about how – or if – he matches in with the Browns, who made a franchise-altering commerce to accumulate him in 2022.

Berry was requested instantly if Watson will play for Cleveland once more. “That’s at all times attainable,” Berry stated, leaving the door open for different choices.

With eight video games left in a season the Browns (2-7) had anticipated to incorporate the playoffs, Berry stated he wasn’t trying past the remaining schedule.

“Actually our focus with Deshaun, I might say for any participant with a season-ending damage and a significant damage, is initially with the restoration and to ensure that he will get wholesome from the achilles damage,” Berry stated. “All the pieces else we’ll cope with at a later second.”

The group’s resolution to commerce three-first spherical draft picks to the Houston Texans after which signal the 29-year-old Watson by providing him a completely assured, five-year $230m contract has backfired.

A 3-time Professional Bowler, Watson is 9-10 in simply 19 begins with Cleveland. He was suspended 11 video games by the NFL for violating its private conduct coverage in his first season with the Browns and the final two have ended prematurely with accidents.

However even when he has been wholesome, Watson hasn’t been superb – overthrows, poor choices and losses have dominated his time in Cleveland. The Browns had been 1-5 this season and hadn’t scored 20 factors in any recreation earlier than Watson was damage.

Berry, although, stated it’s not truthful responsible every thing on Watson. “We haven’t performed effectively as a group and we haven’t performed effectively as a unit on offense,” he stated. “Typically occasions if you don’t play effectively on offense, clearly your beginning quarterback and your play-caller will get essentially the most criticism. However the actuality of it’s, offenses, it comes all the way down to group and synchronization. There’s simply quite a lot of shared possession throughout the completely different place teams when it comes to why we didn’t carry out.”

Watson will make $46m in every of the subsequent two seasons, and the Browns, who reworked his payout this season to open salary-cap house, will take a success of $72m in 2025 and 2026, impacting their means to repair a roster with expertise and holes.

The deal has been panned universally, with some calling it the worst in NFL historical past. Group house owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam had been extensively criticized for the transfer due to the cash and since Watson’s signing got here amid allegations of sexual misconduct whereas he performed for the Texans. He was accused by two dozen girls of sexual assault and harassment throughout therapeutic massage remedy classes. He has not been charged over any of the allegations.

Berry reiterated the commerce was collaborative. “Like we’ve at all times stated, all of us had been on board,” Berry stated. “Everybody’s on board and clearly with a giant dedication in that regard, that’s at all times going to be the case.”

Watson’s arrival in Cleveland was met with a combined response from followers, a few of whom had been disgusted the group would add a participant of questionable character. Then, after Watson obtained damage final yr, the Browns signed Joe Flacco as a free agent and the veteran QB led them to a playoff berth.

The group’s selection to not deliver again Flacco additional alienated Watson’s detractors. Issues got here to a head final month when there was some derisive cheering by Browns followers when Watson obtained damage, a response that angered a number of of his teammates.

Berry was requested if the hostile response will have an effect on any QB choices going ahead. “We love our followers,” he stated. “We all know that they’re passionate and so they love the group. As we make choices organizationally, it’ll at all times be inside what we expect is inside the most effective curiosity of the franchise. A few of these can be fashionable, a few of these can be unpopular, however that’s actually the best way that we’ll navigate it.”