Daniel Oyefusi, ESPN
CLEVELAND — Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson took a shotgun snap and tried to hold out a run play towards the top of the primary half of Sunday’s recreation towards the Cincinnati Bengals. However earlier than he might cross the road of scrimmage, he crumpled to the bottom, reaching for his decrease proper leg.
The magnitude of the harm was fast as a cart made its approach onto the sphere. Then your complete Browns crew got here off the sideline in concern for its beginning quarterback.
Moments later, Watson was wheeled off to the locker room. He used a towel draped over his head to wipe tears from his face.
On Monday, the Browns confirmed Watson had ruptured his proper Achilles, marking the second straight 12 months Cleveland has misplaced Watson to a season-ending harm. He injured his throwing shoulder in Week 10 final 12 months.
Watson’s three seasons in Cleveland have yielded 19 underwhelming begins. For the reason that Browns traded for him earlier than the 2022 season, guaranteeing $230 million over 5 years, Watson has served an 11-game suspension for violating the NFL’s private conduct coverage and suffered two season-ending accidents. His signing, which was speculated to safe the Browns’ quarterback place for years to come back, has as a substitute left extra questions in regards to the franchise’s plans on the place, not solely within the fast future but additionally subsequent 12 months as Watson as soon as once more faces a protracted rehabilitation, one that would linger into the 2025 season.
“We really feel unhealthy for Deshaun,” Stefanski mentioned Monday. “On this case, really feel unhealthy to lose him for the season. And we additionally know as a soccer crew, that is the place you need to step up. Guys must step up and that is simply the way it goes.”
For weeks, the Browns had confronted questions on Watson’s standing because the crew’s beginning quarterback. As his play deteriorated, followers started getting stressed.
The Browns went all-in to amass Watson in 2022. Regardless of sexual assault allegations that might finally drive Watson to serve a suspension to begin his Cleveland profession, the franchise despatched the Houston Texans three first-round picks and gave Watson a completely assured contract in hopes of lifting the crew to competition.
For the reason that transfer, Watson has produced a 34 QBR and a 9-10 report as a starter. His standing as a polarizing and contentious determine throughout his tenure in Cleveland was on show early in Sunday’s 21-14 loss to the Bengals. Residence followers booed him throughout pregame introductions and continued as Cleveland’s offense sputtered.
As he lay on the bottom following the Achilles harm, followers’ cheers and boos drew the ire of his Browns teammates.
“We ought to be ashamed of ourselves,” defensive finish Myles Garrett mentioned afterward.
Although the harm will stop Watson from making an affect on the sphere for Cleveland, his contract will proceed to loom over the franchise. The subsequent two seasons, Watson has cap hits of $72.9 million, each of that are slated to be the second-highest within the NFL, in keeping with the Roster Administration System. Cleveland owes Watson $46 million in every of the following two seasons, an exorbitant funding in a participant who has the fourth-lowest QBR of 45 quarterbacks with at the very least 10 begins because the starting of the 2022 season.
The Browns restructured Watson’s contract earlier than the season, creating $44.79 million in cap area that the crew is anticipated to hold over to change into cap compliant within the 2025 offseason. Cleveland is projected to be $52 million over the cap for the 2025 season. Restructuring Watson’s contract, although, created $172 million and $99 million useless cap hits in 2025 and 2026 if Cleveland had been to half methods with him with a pre-June 1 reduce.
The Browns purchased an insurance coverage coverage for Watson’s contract and obtained cap reduction for 2024 after he missed 11 video games as a result of harm in 2023. If his harm forces him to overlook video games in 2025, Cleveland might get further reduction.
In accordance with a duplicate of Watson’s contract obtained by ESPN, the Browns have as much as $13.9 million of Watson’s 2024 wage insured and as much as $44.2 million of his 2025 wage insured.
Nonetheless, with restricted cap area anticipated in 2025, the Browns’ greatest alternative to improve at quarterback might come within the draft. Cleveland not owes any picks for the Watson commerce and, at 1-6, its first first-round choose since 2021 is trending to be a high choice. ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid’s newest mock draft, projected earlier than Watson’s harm, had the Browns choosing Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders with the No. 1 total choose.
Earlier than the season, Browns normal supervisor Andrew Berry spoke about preserving Watson in Cleveland for years to come back and over the period of a number of contracts, a starry-eyed outlook for a participant who had but to dwell as much as the expectations that got here with one of many largest offers in NFL historical past.
A press release launched by the crew Monday mentioned Watson is anticipated to make a full restoration. Stefanski, although, averted answering a number of questions on Watson’s play this season and his standing because the crew’s beginning quarterback as soon as he’s wholesome once more.
“Clearly, I consider in Deshaun,” Stefanski mentioned. “However I additionally suppose it is necessary simply to acknowledge that he simply had a foul harm and a foul break for him. We’re feeling unhealthy for him and know that he’ll bounce again. However not stepping into all these issues down the street. I am trying ahead to him getting the surgical procedure and clearly getting his physique proper again.”
The Browns began the season 1-5 with Watson posting the bottom QBR within the NFL. However Stefanski stood by him as beginning quarterback, saying he gave Cleveland its greatest alternative to win. The crew, although, made a change at backup quarterback earlier than Sunday’s recreation, selling second-year participant Dorian Thompson-Robinson to QB2, whereas veteran Jameis Winston was made the emergency quarterback.
Thompson-Robinson showcased his athleticism after Watson’s harm, main the Browns with 44 dashing yards. However he struggled as a passer, finishing 11 of 24 passes for 82 yards and throwing two interceptions. He injured a finger on his throwing hand whereas making a deal with after his second choose late within the fourth quarter, which compelled Winston to enter the sport with the Browns down 21-6. Winston accomplished 5 of 11 passes for 67 yards, throwing a landing and changing a 2-point try earlier than an unsuccessful onside kick successfully ended the sport.
After the sport, Stefanski mentioned he considered each Thompson-Robinson and Winston because the No. 2 quarterback however determined to go along with Thompson-Robinson as a result of the sport plan didn’t embody the short-yardage package deal the crew has used with Winston this season.
“I felt like Dorian had acquitted himself nicely in apply and in his preparation to make him the backup,” Stefanski mentioned.
Stefanski didn’t decide to a beginning quarterback for subsequent Sunday’s dwelling recreation towards the Baltimore Ravens, saying he wished to assemble extra data on the extent of Thompson-Robinson’s harm. Stefanski mentioned he felt comfy about Thompson-Robinson’s availability for the season however was noncommittal in regards to the Ravens recreation. With no quarterback on the apply squad, Stefanski mentioned the crew will add a passer this week.
Thompson-Robinson, a 2023 fifth-round choose, made three begins final season, finishing 53.6% of his passes for a quarter mile, one landing and 4 interceptions. His first begin got here unexpectedly towards the Baltimore Ravens after Watson was made inactive due to a proper shoulder harm. Thompson-Robinson threw three interceptions in a 28-3 loss and made two extra begins earlier than the Browns turned to Joe Flacco after Watson suffered one other shoulder harm that required season-ending surgical procedure.
Thompson-Robinson confirmed extra consolation and command of the offense throughout his second coaching camp and preseason. The crew opted to maintain him over Tyler Huntley as one in all its three quarterbacks and have remained bullish on his potential. However Thompson-Robinson’s inexperience was highlighted as he regarded overwhelmed taking on for Watson Sunday.
“There are quite a lot of issues I have to do to wash up,” Thompson-Robinson mentioned after the sport. “It sort of gave me flashbacks to the Ravens recreation final 12 months, and that feeling nonetheless has a foul style in my mouth. And that’s one thing that I have to look myself within the mirror and prepare to organize for subsequent week.”
Winston, a 10-year veteran, gives a extra skilled choice than Thompson-Robinson. He is began 80 video games because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers chosen him with the No. 1 total choose within the 2015 draft. Winston, although, is much less cell than Thompson-Robinson or Watson, which could possibly be a legal responsibility behind an offensive line that has surrendered a league-high 35 sacks getting into Monday.
“I’m prepared and ready for no matter position,” Winston mentioned. “That has been the story of my profession, the previous few years. I am prepared. I am prepared and ready for no matter position it’s I’m to play. I am right here to serve.”
Whichever quarterback the Browns identify as starter, the offense appears poised to pivot from the unfold strategy that was constructed round Watson with hopes of getting him again to Professional Bowl type. With working again Nick Chubb making his season debut Sunday after final 12 months’s extreme knee harm, Cleveland ran 28.6% of its performs from underneath middle, tied for its second-highest price this season. The Browns’ shotgun snap share — 71.4% — was their second lowest this season.
“I feel you’d have to try this as an offense, you are at all times leaning into what your quarterbacks are most comfy with,” Stefanski mentioned. “So, that’ll be true definitely shifting ahead.”
Stefanski is accustomed to creating a midseason change at quarterback. When the Browns signed Flacco, Cleveland went again to the West Coast rules that Stefanski initially introduced in — underneath middle snaps and play motion passes — and it helped hold the crew’s season afloat en path to the playoffs.
On the time Stefanski turned to Flacco, although, the Browns had been 7-4, leaning on an elite protection and in want of a quarterback to information the offense. The circumstances of one other quarterback change as a result of harm are completely different.
In Sunday’s defeat, which dropped Cleveland to 1-6, the Browns’ offense recorded 300 complete yards for the primary time this season however prolonged its streak of video games with out 20 factors to seven, the longest to begin a season in 15 years.
Watson wasn’t capable of raise Cleveland’s offense in seven begins this season however the unit finds itself with lasting issues — from penalties to blocking points — that Stefanski and whoever begins at quarterback towards the Ravens should work to rectify.
ESPN senior author Kalyn Kahler contributed to this report.
