It turns out the Cleveland Browns are not good with or without their $230 million quarterback, surprise of all surprises. And owner Jimmy Haslam is trying to figure out why, his only obstacle being his evident lack of a mirror. The good news for HC Kevin Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry is he doesn’t think it’s them, so Browns fans will get to experience business as usual going forward.
“We went from 11-6 and making the playoffs to 3-10, so it’s a little perplexing what happened”, Haslam told ESPN of the Browns’ year-over-year slide. Actually, Cleveland went 5-1 with Deshaun Watson last year, but its defense was much better. This year, they manage to rank poorly in almost everything yet still keep drives short and sweet. That somehow doesn’t prevent them from giving up points on said short drives, though.
During the 2024 season, the Browns went 1-6 with Watson at quarterback. Since his season-ending injury, they are 2-4 with Jameis Winston. That isn’t vastly better, but it includes wins over the Steelers and Ravens. While Watson is a much more volatile player, Watson was just historically ineffective.
As you might recall, Deshaun Watson agreed to join with the Browns via trade in 2022. After turning down their initial offer, he changed his tune when they offered him a fully guaranteed five-year deal. Such a veteran contract was unprecedented and is likely to remain that way given how things have gone.
Even though the Browns still owe Watson $92 million over the next two years, they have no obligation to play him. Stefanski hedged when asked following his injury if he was willing to commit to Watson remaining their starting quarterback.
Jimmy Haslam said the organization was “very supportive” of Stefanski and Berry. Both signed contract extensions ahead of the 2024 season, following last year’s successful run. While he expressed disappointment in this season, he deferred future decisions to the offseason.
“I’ve learned not to get too emotional during the season”, Haslam said. “We will sit down after the season, go through everything for next year”.
It’s hard to even say where all the problems lie, because at least on paper, they have some talent. This is, after all, mostly the same team that made it to the playoffs last year with Joe Flacco. The Browns even have a two-time Coach of the Year in Stefanski…somehow.
But Jimmy Haslam is certainly not winning any awards. In fact, he is far more likely to face another lawsuit than praise for his football acumen. Since he took over the Browns, they haven’t exactly improved. In fact, if we weren’t talking about a historically bad organization like the Browns, his track record would be terrible. As it is, he is just benefiting from arguably the lowest bar in American professional sports.
