The Cleveland Browns may be selling optimism around Deshaun Watson for a fifth and final contract year comeback, but a Yahoo NFL insider isn't buying it. Instead, he sees Cleveland marching straight back into the same quarterback mess that has haunted the franchise.

Recently, Yahoo NFL writer Frank Schwab joined Yahoo Sports Daily, where he sat down with Caroline Fenton and Justin Walter and delivered a reality check on Deshaun Watson's $230 million contract aftermath.

“Deshaun Watson stinks,” Schwab said. “When we watched him play football the past few years, he is not a good quarterback. There is a thing in this world called sunk cost."

Watson signed one of the most lucrative contracts in NFL history in March 2022, a $230 million deal, keeping him at the franchise through 2026.

In his four years now, he has appeared in just 19 of a possible 68 regular-season games, while his performances have declined significantly, a point Frank Schwab highlighted during his conversation on Yahoo Sports Daily.

“You’ve already paid all these picks and money for Deshaun Watson. It does not mean Deshaun Watson is going to become good. Why are the Browns doing this? What is the point, unless you are trying to tank?” said Schwab.

According to ESPN reports, the Browns have paid around $184 million for Deshaun Watson over four years, which comes to about $9.6 million for each passing touchdown in his contract.

Across 19 starts for the Browns over three seasons, Watson has compiled a 9-10 record.

His 2024 campaign was especially disappointing for the fanbase, as he went 1-6 while throwing for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions before suffering a season-ending injury.

Last year, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam publicly called the team's trade for Deshaun Watson a "big swing and miss."

Despite that, the team's hesitation to move on from him has bothered Frank Schwab, who believes the Browns already have better quarterback options on their own roster.

Frank Schwab points to other quarterback options for the Browns

Watson certainly made plenty of noise during his time with the Houston Texans, but times have changed.

In the same episode of Yahoo Sports Daily, Frank Schwab argued that the Browns should move on, believing they already have better quarterback options on the roster.

“I’d rather start Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, or Taylen Green. I’d rather start literally anyone off the street over Deshaun Watson,” said the NFL Insider.

The Browns certainly invested in Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel last season with their fifth- and third-round picks, respectively, but neither has yet proven he deserves to be the team's starting quarterback.

Even so, Frank Schwab believes that doesn't mean Cleveland should continue handing everything to Deshaun Watson.

“I don’t understand why they’ve laid the groundwork for Deshaun Watson to start at quarterback,” Schwab said. “We know who he is and what he’s done off the field. It’s an embarrassment. It’s one of the most embarrassing things I’ve seen while covering the NFL.”

With training camp looming, Todd Monken and the Browns' intentions will soon become clear.

With that said, what are your thoughts on the Browns' quarterback room?

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Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote