The Cleveland Browns’ front office continues to generate major controversy by holding on to what many consider the worst signing in the entire history of the NFL, quarterback Deshaun Watson.
The signal-caller arrived in Cleveland in 2022 after leaving the Houston Texans, where he had made a very strong impression during his time with the franchise. When the moment came to negotiate a contract extension, Watson was reportedly asking for an enormous deal, and the Texans ultimately decided to let him walk.
Cleveland moved quickly and offered him a fully guaranteed contract worth $230 million. At the time, many observers believed the Browns were making a very risky gamble, and as the years have passed, the results have largely confirmed those concerns.
The quarterback has turned out to be a complete disappointment. Over the past two seasons, he has barely played because of injuries, while still collecting his salary as if nothing had happened. That situation earned him the label of the most useless signing in the history of the league.
Now he has returned to training and claims he wants to fight for the starting job against second-year players Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. Even so, the situation once again feels like another mistake waiting to happen.
The player appears to be a spent force. He has not worked out and many believe he never will. What Cleveland’s general management should do, according to many critics, is move on from him immediately, even if that decision leaves behind dead money on the salary cap. However, the inaction that continues to define this situation could once again come back to hurt the franchise.
Watson has not played a single game since October 2023. Because of that, the criticism surrounding him has been intense and, for many observers, entirely justified. Based on that context, former NFL star Cris Carter recently decided to share his thoughts about the controversial quarterback.
Cris Carter comments on Deshaun Watson
From Carter’s perspective, the franchise has very limited options, and that is why it must keep Watson on the roster. This is the case even though the team now has Sanders, a player who could potentially develop his talent and become an important piece of the offense.
They are going to keep him around and restructure his contract again.”…”It’s still too much guaranteed money just to cut him.
Carter said during the latest episode of his Fully Loaded podcast.
Regarding the upcoming season and what could potentially happen with Watson, Carter added.
Going to get a great opportunity.”…”What a story that would be,” Carter added. “Because everyone has given up on him.
Watson’s problems have not been limited to injuries. His violations of the NFL’s conduct policy also damaged his reputation and generated widespread disapproval among fans. On top of that, his on-field performance has simply not been good.
For now, the Browns’ leadership has at least attempted to address the issue by restructuring his contract. That move allowed the franchise to free up $44 million, although it still affects the team’s salary cap for this season and the next.
Since arriving in Cleveland, Watson has played only 19 games, and the team lost 10 of those. Because of that record, many believe that even if a Hall of Famer like Carter expresses hope, it remains extremely difficult to justify continuing with a player like Deshaun Watson.
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