The Cleveland Browns continue to openly support Deshaun Watson, but that support is likely to dwindle next season, just as the quarterback does.
Perhaps Watson will recover from shoulder surgery and regain the Pro Bowl form he had with the Houston Texans for three seasons before off-field issues derailed his career — or at the very least figure out how to play more than six games per year, as he did in 2022 and 2023. However, the middling-to-poor performances that have marked Watson’s stint in Cleveland are likely to continue, and the Browns will once again be competing for a Super Bowl not because of their quarterback, but in spite of him.
The possibility of that reality begs for the team to look beyond a reunion with Jacoby Brissett or Joe Flacco this offseason as backups, moderate competitors, and potential alternatives for Watson if something goes wrong, as history suggests it would. On February 16, Seth Walder of ESPN suggested that the Browns trade draft capital to the Chicago Bears for quarterback Justin Fields, who is almost certain to play somewhere this season.
“If I were the Browns, I would look at Deshaun Watson as mostly a sunk cost and try to upgrade at quarterback,” Walder said in a statement. “With no first-round pick and so much money already coming Watson’s way, this would be difficult to accomplish. However, trading a second- or third-round pick for Fields (who is still on his rookie contract) is possible.
Justin Fields Offers Browns Reasonably Affordable Option Over Next Two Seasons.
Two years ago, the Browns traded three first-round picks, plus some, for the right to pay Watson $230 million in fully guaranteed salary. As a result, one second-round pick for Fields, who will be on a cost-controlled contract for the next two seasons, appears to be the best deal of the century.
Spotrac now estimates Fields’ market value at $283 million over a new six-year contract ($47 million per year). However, the three-year Bears starter and former No. 11 overall pick in 2021 will enter the final season of his initial four-year, $18.9 million rookie contract in 2024. Chicago, or whichever team owns Fields’ rights ahead of the May deadline, is almost expected to exercise the fifth-year team option on that contract, keeping the quarterback under contract in 2025 for a reasonable price (by today’s standards) of $25.7 million.
In actuality, if Cleveland decides to trade for Fields, the team will be on the line for less than $32 million in total cap hits over two seasons, which is almost half of the $64 million salary charge Watson’s contract carries in each of the next three years. If Watson surprises and performs well in 2024, the Browns may attempt to sell Fields before the trade deadline or following summer for a return that will more or less balance what they would have to give up to acquire him in the coming weeks.
Cleveland does not choose until No. 54 in this April’s draft, although other teams interested in Fields, such as the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 51) and Atlanta Falcons (No. 43), may provide a slightly better second-round value. Still, if the Browns are serious about being in the conversation, they can add another Day-3 pick to make their offer more competitive.
Browns must quickly decide on a backup plan for Deshaun Watson.
If Watson fails to perform as the No. 1 option under centre for the third year in a row, Cleveland will not have much time to select which road to take in terms of a backup quarterback/contingency plan.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles said Tuesday that he wants to “do right” by Fields, but he also has a responsibility to secure the best deal possible for the quarterback. All of this translates into Chicago starting trade talks in earnest on March 13, which is the earliest such transactions can be completed under league regulations.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters Wednesday that he and new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey will travel to Los Angeles next week to work with Watson, who will start throwing soon as part of his shoulder rehabilitation regimen.
“I know he’s going to start throwing here soon. “He’s reaching all of his milestones,” Stefanski added. “Ken and I are planning to meet him next week and spend some time together. Not talking football, just catching up. I won’t see him throw, but I’d like to check up on him. But I text him practically every day, so he seems to be doing well.”
In terms of Watson’s status with the organization, time and the Browns’ subsequent actions should reveal all.
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