Report signifies Browns gamers could also be completed with Watson

Deshaun Watson might by no means once more take a significant snap for the Cleveland Browns after the quarterback who first suffered a torn Achilles on Oct. 20 tore the Achilles once more throughout his restoration. 

It appears like at the least some present Cleveland gamers set to stay with the membership by means of this offseason shall be simply effective if Watson stays away from the workforce. 

“Gamers informed me there was a continuing heaviness surrounding Watson within the locker room and that they felt a unique power within the constructing upon his departure after his Achilles damage in October,” Jason Lloyd of The Athletic revealed in a bit revealed Wednesday. “A couple of veterans informed me it felt like a cloud had been lifted.”

After the mixture of veteran quarterback Joe Flacco and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt helped the 2023 Browns qualify for the playoffs as Watson recovered from a shoulder damage, Cleveland controversially moved on from each Flacco and Van Pelt in obvious makes an attempt to maintain Watson snug within the quarterback room and to run an offense that higher catered to Watson’s ability set. Below Ken Dorsey, Van Pelt’s substitute, Watson was arguably the league’s worst QB1 from Week 1 by means of Week 7 of this season. 

The Browns parted methods with Dorsey earlier this month and then promoted tight ends coach Tommy Rees to offensive coordinator on Tuesday. 

Lloyd famous how Watson “routinely missed open receivers” because the 2024 Browns fell to 1-5. Head coach Kevin Stefanski had some fascinating reactions to seeing such miscues throughout movie periods.

“Based on a number of gamers,” Lloyd defined, “these errors weren’t identified in movie periods, irritating at the least just a few veterans who believed Stefanski wouldn’t criticize Watson in entrance of the workforce. When Jameis Winston changed Watson after he tore his Achilles in October, gamers mentioned Stefanski returned to declaring the quarterback’s errors in movie periods.”

The Browns doubtless will preserve Watson on the roster by means of subsequent season after which designate him a post-June 1 launch in March 2026 to cut back salary-cap hits hooked up to his contract for the 2026 and 2027 campaigns. 

Earlier than then, Cleveland might signal a veteran reminiscent of Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons or Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets to a team-friendly deal this coming March after which choose both Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders with the second total decide of the 2025 NFL Draft. 

No matter who’s on the roster when training-camp practices open this summer time, it seems Watson will not be all that missed within the Cleveland locker room.