CLEVELAND — We all know the ultimate chapter now of the Deshaun Watson saga in Cleveland. It formally ended at 2:18 p.m. Sunday on the 23-yard line when Watson crumpled to the bottom clutching his proper heel in agony.
The ruptured Achilles will doubtless be confirmed Monday and the Browns will start their catastrophe reduction program of determining the best way to transfer ahead from right here.
Deshaun Watson has performed his final snap as a member of the Cleveland Browns.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski informed reporters that the crew believes Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles damage, with extra checks forward to substantiate.
Right here is the play on which Watson was injured: pic.twitter.com/zt4GfnRxi3
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 20, 2024
Now, we are able to declare what has been suspected for months: That is formally the worst commerce within the historical past {of professional} sports activities. Assuming he doesn’t take one other snap, Watson’s time right here ends with extra sexual assault allegations (27) than video games performed (19). He received 9 video games because the Browns’ quarterback. The crew paid him $25.56 million per victory, with two extra years nonetheless to go on this interminable contract.
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There will probably be loads of time within the days, weeks and months forward to sift by way of the carnage of how they received right here. For now, the Browns have one other recreation subsequent weekend in opposition to the Baltimore Ravens and someone has to take the snaps. They’re 1-6 and the season is sabotaged, however there are nonetheless 10 video games to go and so they completely matter. The subsequent 2 1/2 months will decide who will get fired and what number of gamers have to be changed as a result of it may’t come again like this once more subsequent yr.
The Browns had been already trending towards Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback, the damage to Watson simply expedited that course of. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey informed Thompson-Robinson a number of instances final week to “be prepared.” Solely no person bothered to inform him what precisely to be able to see.
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The choice had been made to advertise DTR to be the backup quarterback, however they didn’t hassle telling him that till over the weekend, simply hours earlier than the sport. He spent the week operating the scout crew, as normal.
“Our backups actually don’t get reps with those,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski mentioned.
When the Browns ran by way of their short-yardage packages throughout Saturday’s walk-through, it was Watson — not Jameis Winston — who took the snaps from heart. A few of the gamers had been puzzled. Watson has by no means been the short-yardage quarterback right here. Beforehand, the Browns went as far as to make use of a backup tight finish because the short-yardage quarterback to maintain Watson from doing it as a result of he’s by no means been excellent at it and it uncovered him to pointless hits. However this sort of begin to a season forces groups to get out of their consolation zone.
The plan was lastly revealed when Winston was inactive Sunday and Thompson-Robinson was elevated to the backup function. I consider Stefanski was in the end getting ready to bench Watson ahead of later and switch to Thompson-Robinson as his starter, however there’s no want for anybody to confess that now.
Thompson-Robinson was thrust into the beginning function Sunday when Watson went down and he appeared as unprepared as he did final yr when he was unexpectedly dumped right into a begin at house in opposition to the Ravens simply hours earlier than kickoff.
Watson insisted all through that week he was going to play in opposition to Baltimore regardless of a proper shoulder damage, so the coaches and gamers took him at his phrase. Then he mentioned the morning of the sport he couldn’t go, leaving Thompson-Robinson to make his first profession begin as a rookie fifth-round decide with no discover and little preparation. He was a large number in that recreation, simply as he was a large number on Sunday.
“Form of gave me flashbacks of being again on the Ravens recreation final yr and that feeling I don’t need, feeling that has a nasty style in my mouth,” Thompson-Robinson mentioned Sunday. “I must look myself within the mirror and ensure I’m popping out ready subsequent week.”
Thompson-Robinson was 11 of 24 for 82 yards and two interceptions in opposition to the Bengals. However, the Browns can’t flip again now. He ought to begin subsequent week in opposition to those self same Ravens with a full week of preparation and each week thereafter so long as he can stay wholesome. He was compelled out of Sunday’s recreation within the fourth quarter with an damage to his proper center finger, which was closely wrapped after the sport. He fell on it when he was sacked, which made gripping a soccer tough. He had X-rays taken after the sport, however the outcomes received’t be introduced till Monday.
DTR reveals off the wheels
📺: #CINvsCLE on CBS/Paramount+
📱: pic.twitter.com/t44VXz4vJJ— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024
Offered there’s nothing damaged and he can grip a ball by Wednesday’s apply, he needs to be the quarterback for the remainder of the season. There isn’t any profit to taking part in Winston at this level. The Browns know who he’s.
Thompson-Robinson stays a 24-year-old unknown. The percentages are he’s most likely a profession backup, however the Browns want a definitive reply to that by the tip of the season. Now they’ve the time to get it. He made three begins final yr as a rookie and appeared to be figuring issues out in a loss at Denver earlier than he was knocked out of the sport with a concussion.
As soon as the Browns signed Joe Flacco, he returned to a backup function and briefly performed in rubbish time at Houston on Christmas Eve. He managed to dislocate his hip after 5 performs, ending his season. If he can’t keep wholesome, then the Browns will rapidly get their reply.
By January, this franchise must know if Thompson-Robinson is an possibility for them at quarterback in 2025 and past. If he’s not, they need to be dangerous sufficient to be in place to draft yet one more franchise quarterback in subsequent yr’s draft.
It’s an unfathomable place to be in contemplating how a lot money and commerce capital they surrendered to get Watson, but it surely’s the fact of their place. How they promote this to veterans like Myles Garrett and Joel Bitonio is one other battle. Can any veteran right here be satisfied to remain by way of one other rebuild? It actually looks like that’s what’s coming.
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There’s no straightforward method out of this. Regardless of the Browns do with Watson’s contract after the season is certain to be painful and embody extraordinary, historic lifeless cap hits for the following couple of years. However Watson has not often proven the potential of being a franchise quarterback since he arrived right here and the Achilles damage all however seals the ending.
Essentially the most polarizing, divisive period within the historical past of the Cleveland Browns has mercifully ended.
The injury is just starting.
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(Photograph: Jason Miller / Getty Photos)
