When the Cleveland Browns traded for Deshaun Watson two years ago and added him to a fairly talented roster, the thinking seemed to be that in time, the Browns would become a winning team, if not a contender.
But that isn’t exactly what has transpired.
While they did make the playoffs last season despite a season-ending shoulder injury Watson suffered, the three-time Pro Bowler has never resembled his former self since coming to Ohio.
Former star tight end Tony Gonzalez said to Zach Gelb that the time has come for the Browns to put Watson on a short leash and give him one or two more games to either shape up or get benched.
.@TonyGonzalez88 says Deshaun Watson should be on a short leash and the Browns should give Deshaun at max 2 more games before benching him for Jameis Winston. @InfSportsNet pic.twitter.com/D7ZWitdpbb
— Zach Gelb (@ZachGelb) September 9, 2024
In his final season with the Houston Texans in 2020, Watson led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards while also posting 33 passing touchdowns, completing 70.2 percent of his pass attempts and adding 444 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
But since being traded to Cleveland, he has managed to complete just 59.1 percent of his pass attempts while throwing for 2,386 yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 13 games.
His decline has been inexplicable, especially considering that he has had a weapon such as six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper, as well as one of the NFL’s best offensive lines.
The Browns have Jameis Winston as their QB2, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft who threw for a league-high 5,109 yards in 2019, and he could be waiting in the wings should Watson continue to struggle.
Last year, after Watson suffered his injury, it was Joe Flacco who led them to that four-game winning streak that put them into the playoffs.
