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Deshaun Watson's career with the Cleveland Browns started with a controversy. They acquired him via trade with the Houston Texans despite him not playing football for a year while dealing with serious legal allegations off the field. They also doubled down by giving him a massive $230 million fully guaranteed contract before ever playing a snap for his new team.
The Browns were willing to gamble that his time away, including an eventual 11-game suspension, wouldn't be enough to cause him to regress on the field significantly. It hasn't exactly worked out for them so far, as he's been anything but the superstar quarterback he was in Houston.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski recently spoke about Watson's struggles following their most recent loss in Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season. He was asked during a press conference if he thinks his quarterback will be able to overcome it.
Stefanski responded:
“Yeah, I think it’s never about one person. I completely understand that the quarterback gets way too much of the credit, way too much of the blame. That’s just the life of being a quarterback in the NFL. It’s the [same as the] head coach. You get all the credit, you don’t deserve it. You get all the blame, it doesn’t matter. You own it ... So, I know what he’s made of. I know how he works, and I expect him to come in here ready to work tomorrow. That’s really where the focus is.”
While it's not surprising that Stefanski opted to take the blame off of Watson, his quarterback was a disaster in their loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He completed just 55 percent of his passes and turned the ball over three times, including two that were returned for touchdowns.
Deshaun Watson has not lived up to his contract with the Browns
Considering the massive NFL Draft capital they surrendered to acquire him and the record-setting $230 million in guaranteed money they gave him, the Cleveland Browns believed Deshaun Watson would overcome all of the adversity and get back to being one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
Not only has he not been that, but he has significantly regressed from the player he was with the Houston Texans by just about every possible measure. He completed 68 percent of his passes for 269 yards per game as a Texan, with an elite 104.5 passer rating.
Across his first eight games with the Browns, those numbers have plummeted. He's completing just 57 percent of his passes for 186 yards a game with an abysmal 76.2 passer rating. He's in danger of being one of the biggest contract busts ever unless he can quickly turn things around.
