Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, who in his previous life was known for his play-calling and communication with quarterbacks, punted to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey on Wednesday.
Cleveland is looking to Dorsey for rewardless, almost no-win situations, like pulling a parachute as a nosedive plane approaches collision.
Jameis Winston has no choice but to step up, filling in for Deshaun Watson, Stefanski’s co-pilot in this rig called the Browns. The problem is that the heaviest cargo in the cargo hold cannot be unloaded to protect the mission.
Neither Winston nor Dorsey nor Stefanski nor Belichick nor Parcells have an easy solution to the Watson problem.
By the time Watson suffered a season-ending injury for the second consecutive season and was officially placed on injured reserve, his financial loss to Cleveland was only part of the story. General manager Andrew Berry tied Watson to the Browns for a few more years because of a guaranteed contract that is unprecedented at this rate, position and contract length in the NFL. What if his dead cap appearance is revealed this week? By 2025, it will be around $120 million and even more than $80 million.
Next year will be only marginally better, with the Broncos kicking Russell Wilson to the limit, resulting in a cap number that far exceeds the record total of $85 million in dead salary caps the Broncos charge, split between 2024 and 2025. There is.
Watson’s dead cap hit in 2025 will be $118.94 million, with an additional $53 million added to the cap in 2026. He won’t become a free agent until 2027. They can’t get that money back to acquire Watson, nor can they get back the three first-round picks given to the Texans in the trade.
They won one of seven games this season, played six games in 2023, and six games in 2022. After receiving an 11-game suspension.Watson is back on the shelf with 19 total touchdown passes in 19 games for the Browns. His 9-10 record since missing the 2021 season with the Texans partly explains why Cleveland fans decided to root for Watson’s second-quarter injury last week.
Choosing a direction with Watson is Cleveland’s first step in determining where the Browns go from here.
Barring a shocking change in owner Jimmy Haslam, Browns general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Stefanski aren’t going anywhere this season or this offseason.
The two signed a long-term contract extension in June, which means Stefanski will lead the Browns to 11 wins and a playoff spot in 2023 after Watson’s shoulder surgery, with five different quarterbacks starting at least one game. It was also a reward for making it forward.
The tandem has 38 wins and 37 losses since taking over in 2020.
Watson is owed $92 million over the next two seasons. That’s for sure, and the only way out of this contract would be for Watson to be suspended again.
Stefanski also didn’t seem like a coach ready to move on from Watson on Monday.
“This is a tough break for him, but I know he’ll bounce back,” Stefanski said. “But he’s contributed so much to this football team in the locker room, on the practice field, on the field. We’re just going to help him rehab from his injury.” I think you know what I’m talking about. I know what he brings to this football team. ”
