Although the Cleveland Browns failed to re-sign Joe Flacco, they are still stocking up on quarterbacks. But is it enough to question why they’re doing it, or are they simply building up quality depth? After all, they started five different quarterbacks last year, though only one quarterback actually suffered an injury, if memory serves.
Flacco helped lead the Browns to the playoffs at the end of last season, but though he said he preferred to return to Cleveland, he signed with the Indianapolis Colts. To replace him, the Browns signed both Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley, each with a Pro Bowl on their resumes.
They certainly put themselves in better position to withstand a Deshaun Watson injury than a year ago. Last year they turned to P.J. Walker before trying out rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The two collectively won just two of five starts before the Browns picked up Flacco off the street. He went 4-1, putting up good numbers, enough to start a fifth quarterback in a meaningless finale.
But is there any possibility that they are setting themselves up to more easily move on from Watson on the field? They can’t do anything about the three years’ worth of salary they still owe him, but they don’t have to play him.
Huntley and Winston have primarily been backups in recent years—Huntley always a backup despite somehow making a Pro Bowl. Winston, a former first-overall pick, has seen his value take a hit due to injuries lately, reducing his stature.
The Browns signed him to a one-year, $4 million contract, which is what he earned last season. Including incentives, he could earn as much as $8.7 million. Huntley is reportedly only signing a Veteran Salary Benefit contract. They also still have Thompson-Robinson.
While Watson hasn’t blown the doors off since joining the Browns, they did win five of his six starts in 2023. He threw for 1,116 yards on 105-for-171 passing with 7 touchdowns to 4 interceptions. His only loss came against the Steelers in which he threw a pick six and fumbled on a sack that the T.J. Watt returned for a touchdown.
Some may want to draw parallels to how the Denver Broncos handled Russell Wilson, but it’s not apples to apples. The Browns gain nothing by releasing Watson, and nobody is going to trade for him. The Broncos benefited from releasing Wilson because by doing so his $37 million salary for 2025 did not become guaranteed. They gained money and cap space by biting the bullet.
Still, while the Browns have nothing financially or against the cap to gain, that if anything may incentivize them to assure that they play the best quarterback they have. Right now, Watson is probably still the best quarterback they have. But if he can’t play at a consistently higher level, or stay healthy, they probably start looking for bigger names.
