The 2024 season so far has been significantly disappointing for Cleveland Browns fans! QB Deshaun Watson has failed to make any breakthroughs and ranks the lowest among quarterbacks with a QBR of 23.6. However, when it comes to most cash earned, Watson tops the list, rightly leaving fans disheartened.
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Watson signed a five-year, $230 million contract with the Browns back in 2022, which included a signing bonus of almost $45 million. With an average annual salary of $46 million, the signal-caller has earned the highest amount in the past three years, while someone like Patrick Mahomes barely cracked the Top 5.
Spotrac recently shared this list on X, in which Watson sits at the top, having earned $137.3 million in the past three years. Cowboys’ Dak Prescott and the Bills’ Josh Allen occupy the next two spots with $137.25 million and $135 million in earnings, respectively.
Then, Lamar Jackson comes in fourth ($134.7 million), while Mahomes occupies the last position ($134.5 million).
Not surprisingly, this post quickly triggered fan backlash regarding the list topper. Many, however, seized the opportunity to get creative, posting clever comments like: “reverse order of talent.”
That should be in reverse order in terms of what they deserve, (substituting CUT for DeClown).
— Angry Rob (@AngrE_Rob) October 7, 2024
reverse order of talent
— Coach Aronstam (@ajaronstam) October 7, 2024
Deshaun Watson
— rick flair goes whooo (@quizeseveryday) October 7, 2024
Poor @Browns fans…
— The Ghost of Will McDonough (@GhostMcDonough) October 7, 2024
The Browns have dropped to a dismal 1-4 record following their latest loss to the Washington Commanders. The one-sided 34-13 defeat served as another reminder that Watson isn’t living up to his price tag.
Watson to be replaced?
On Sunday, the Browns faced one of the weakest defenses in the league. Yet, their offense, as usual, failed to capitalize on the opportunity, ultimately losing to the rookie QB Jayden Daniels-led team.
After their embarrassing defeat, Watson had only 125 yards and one touchdown to his name, while completing 15 of 28 passes. On top of this, he was sacked a total of seven times, which justifiably led fans to argue that a change in the QB room is warranted.
However, when Kevin Stefanski was asked about the same, the head coach point-blank denied any possibility of Watson getting replaced or traded. Instead, he put the accountability on himself and the entire Cleveland offense for their subpar showing.
“This is not a one-person issue on offense,” said Stefanski in Watson’s defense during the post-game press conference. “We’re not changing quarterbacks. We need to play better, I need to coach better, and that’s really what it is.”
Next up in Week 6, the Browns will face the Philadelphia Eagles, hoping to redeem their dismal record. If they fall short again, both the team and the fanbase will have to leave their playoff dreams at the door, especially with a tough schedule ahead.
