Disturbing Deshaun Watson Details Emerge From Huge Browns Report

The Cleveland Browns wrapped up a season from hell, finishing with a 3-14 record. The offense was a disaster all season, leading to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey getting fired and being replaced by TE coach Tommy Rees.

The only silver lining from the season is the fact that the Browns now own the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. This increases their likelihood of targeting one of the two elite QB prospects in the draft.

The elephant in the room, however, is still Deshaun Watson. Any QB move Cleveland makes this offseason has to take into account that Watson and his albatross of a contract are still on the books. The Browns either have to cut him and have his dead cap on their books or have the most expensive QB2 in NFL history. Watson's availability for the 2025 season is in serious jeopardy after suffering a ruptured Achilles, making this question even more complicated for the Browns.

The latest report from The Athletic's Jason Lloyd shed some light on what went wrong during Watson's tenure in Cleveland. He pointed out incidents where the coaching staff regularly catered to Watson and changed their entire offensive scheme to fit Watson. Despite Kevin Stefanski wanting him in a wide zone, play-action scheme, Watson never embraced the system.

Not only did his desire to be in the shotgun formation cause schematic problems, but he also routinely missed wide open receivers. The veterans were reportedly frustrated with this and wanted Stefanski to call him out, which he never did, much to the team's chagrin.

"According to multiple players, those mistakes weren’t pointed out in film sessions, frustrating at least a few veterans who believed Stefanski wouldn’t criticize Watson in front of the team. When Jameis Winston replaced Watson after he tore his Achilles in October, players said Stefanski returned to pointing out the quarterback’s mistakes in film sessions."

- Jason Lloyd, The Athletic

Regardless of what direction the Browns go at quarterback next season, the need to be on the same page is obvious. Stefanski needs to go back to what worked well in previous seasons. Watson's unfortunate injury certainly provides him with that opportunity to do so.

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