After a 1-3 start this season, many sports media pundits were naturally quite critical of Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson struggled again in Sunday’s Week 5 loss to the Washington Commanders and the Browns fell to 1-4.
The continued struggles have only added fuel to Watson’s critics, including NBC Sports studio analyst Jason Garrett.
Watson was once viewed as one of the most promising young players in the NFL. But multiple seasons of injury-riddled, inconsistent play from the former Pro Bowler has led to increasingly loud calls for him to lose his starting job.
Now, Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has quickly become the player to watch for years to come after a hot start to the season. And Watson played the role of the broken-down veteran in Sunday’s matchup against Daniels, who led Washington to a 34-13 victory in a game that was largely non-competitive.
It’s been quite some time since Deshaun Watson has shown the play that once made him so highly touted early on in his career. And as far as Jason Garrett sees it, it’s time for the Browns to make a change at quarterback.
“Your number one job as a head coach is to play the right guys,” said Garrett on Football Night in America. “The guys that give you the best chance to win. You can’t watch the Cleveland Browns and say this guy gives you the best chance to win. You lose credibility in the locker room when you let other factors become involved. Money, when he was drafted, how long the contract is.
“He’s gotta sit back and take courage, Kevin Stefanski, and say ‘What’s best for our team?’ I think right now, give Jameis Winston a shot. Maybe you get some new energy. Maybe there is a spark in this team. It doesn’t mean this is the decision for the rest of your life. You can make a two-way decision. A week from now, maybe you bring him back into it. But they can’t keep going down the road they are going down right now. They have no chance to win.”
Obviously, Watson’s contract and all that the organization gave up to bring in Watson back in 2022 seem to be playing a significant factor in the Browns’ decision to keep playing him.
Garrett is clearly correct in his assessment that Watson simply isn’t giving the Browns a chance to win at this point. And while Jameis Winston may not either, it can’t hurt to see what he can do in this offense.
Despite the plea from Garrett and others for the Browns to bench Watson, head coach Kevin Stefanski made it clear after the game that there will be no quarterback change in Week 6.
“Yeah, we’re not changing quarterbacks,” said Stefanski during his postgame press conference. “We need to play better. I need to coach better. And that’s really what it is.”
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.