Are the Cleveland Browns riding long term with Jacoby Brissett if Deshaun Watson is suspended indefinitely?

The Cleveland Browns will need to ask themselves if Jacoby Brissett is the proper long-term replacement for Deshaun Watson.

In a matter of days, the fandom of the Cleveland Browns will know for sure what to expect in 2022 and beyond when it comes to the suspension of Deshaun Watson. It could be a handful of games, it could be a season, it could be indefinite, we just don’t know. The NFL and NFLPA argued their cases to an independent arbitrator who makes the final ruling, and while that doesn’t end the situation involving Watson and his, now alleged 30+ accounts of sexual impropriety and assaults, it does at leave settle the situation for the fandom and what to expect for the 2022 season.

With the case against the Houston Texans and their not only allowance of Watson to engage in his dirty deeds, but the suspected covering up of the allegations, this story is far from over. In the filings against the Houston Texans, upwards of five, if not more, women have been attached with attorney Tony Buzbee sighting 30+ women who were alleged victims of Watson’s depravity.

It’s very likely this is just the first of many rulings on Watson’s on-field future. It’s very likely, and I’d dare say those who like Watson should prepare for the worst, as an indefinite suspension seems a given at this point. The most recent came from a Texans’ massage therapist who worked with the team quite a bit and revealed that Watson’s behavior was well known to the team.

So it looks like Jacoby Brissett is the quarterback of 2022, but is he the quarterback of the future?

The Cleveland Browns will likely be without Watson for at least 2022, and if the details of the Texans lawsuit further highlight his behavior, it may very well be much longer. So what happens to the Browns long-term if Watson can’t play? Well, any season he doesn’t play due to an official suspension will only roll his contract over. So if he gets suspended for, let’s say two years, that means his contract won’t officially start until 2024.

So the Browns won’t have to pay him while he’s suspended and, if he were to be suspended until $2024, that’s when the contract would begin in earnest. If the suspension is longer than the Browns are willing to wait, they can more than likely attempt to void the contract, which if it’s more than a year may be possible.

So if Watson is gone for a year or more, is Brissett the guy to hold the Browns over? No, not really. He’s a few months from his 30th birthday and he has never shown to be a viable starter. He started nearly two full seasons with the Colts and had a sub-.500 record with a solid team around him. Not Pro Bowlers, but not the 2017 Cleveland Browns either.

He’s inaccurate but he is smart. He won’t force the ball when he can’t but that also means there won’t be many big plays from the team either, at least through the passing game. The Browns need some form of clarity on Watson’s timeline, as if it’s indefinite, they need to know what the minimum is before he can apply to be reinstated.

If it’s more than a season, with this current team, the Browns would be wise to void the deal and see who’s available in 2023. This is a team that is very quickly being ushered out of the “young squad” moniker. Nick Chubb and Myles Garrett are turning 27 this year. Jack Conklin and Wyatt Teller are turning 28. Amari Cooper is already 28.  None of them are retirement age, no, but if Watson’s gone for at least two years? Then you’re talking about how much longer these guys have in their prime.

The Browns would need to look for a long-term replacement if they didn’t have Watson beyond 2022, and they’ll need to do it fast. It makes no sense to do so now, as history has shown that backup quarterbacks in a system can do just as well as a late-replacement can.

Guys who move teams this late in the season rarely, if ever, help their teams get to the playoffs. So if the Browns could land Sam Darnold or Andy Dalton, it’s not like they’d be better prepared than Brissett.

Next year, however? That’s the question. If the Browns get Watson back, his legal troubles aren’t over and may just be getting worse, and thinking of a long-term replacement regardless of if they want to keep Watson or not would just be the wise move. Maybe a trade with Pittsburgh to land Mitch Trubisky could make sense depending on the ruling of the arbitrator.