Every franchise dreams of landing a game-changing quarterback—one who can turn them into perennial contenders. But sometimes, that dream turns into a nightmare. Just ask the Cleveland Browns.

Two years ago, they went all-in, pushing their chips to the center of the table on a single bet. It was bold. It was expensive. The most lucrative guaranteed money contract in NFL history, in fact. And now, as they stare down the reality of their situation, one question lingers: what happens when the gamble doesn’t pay off?

The Browns are stuck in a QB dilemma that must be giving GM Andrew Berry many sleepless nights. Deshaun Watson‘s time with the team feels like it’s on life support. Or, to some, like a life sentence. After continuous injuries, the Browns are ready to let him go. But that massive $230 million contract they inked with him in 2022 is making it impossible to cut ties with him. So, what’s the plan now? The Browns have the No. 2 draft pick this season, with Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders as the top QB prospects. And there are also a handful of veteran options in the market. What’s going to be their move?

SI‘s Albert Breer recently dropped by The Rich Eisen Show, where he shared some interesting insights about the Cleveland situation. Breer also suggested that Andrew Berry might take a page out of the Falcons‘ playbook to solve their QB crisis. That is to pull off a combo – have both a rookie and a seasoned veteran on the squad. “I think their approach has been we’re going to look at the draft, we are going to turn over every rock on every player in the draft. Because we know we’re going to have a high pick and we’re going to attack the veteran Market too. And it wouldn’t surprise me, Rich, if they pull both levers.” 

The Falcons played this move last season when they signed Kirk Cousins and also drafted rookie Michael Penix Jr. But as we all saw, this did not work out all too well for Atlanta. Breer also weighed in on how the team is playing around Watson’s situation this time. The last few years, they were putting in the room a kind of support for Deshaun. But this season, the Browns are adding competition to the QB room.

“They’re having the 30 visits with the quarterbacks this week. They’re trying to get as complete a picture as they possibly can of Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders so they know what they’re going to be dealing with in the draft,” said Breer. The SI reporter also said that Cleveland might not pick a QB with their top pick and might settle for one in the later rounds. In which case, the senior player in the veteran (if not Watson) and rookie move will likely be their QB1.

So, while they deal with this QB situation, the team has once again restructured Deshaun Watson’s contract.

Browns restructure Deshaun Watson’s deal

Andrew Berry and the Browns pulled the costliest failed gamble in 2022 when they signed Deshaun Watson in a trade with Houston. To put it straight, the Texans wanted the QB out after the SA allegations against him. The Browns got a hell of a lot of backlash for signing Watson, as the Clemson alum faced 24 civil lawsuits in that regard. He would later cop an 11-game suspension and $5 million fine from the league as well. But still, Berry and the Cleveland front office management had so much faith in his QB skills that they traded a couple of draft picks to get him on board. 

In his first season with the Browns, Watson posted his career low, racking up 1,102 passing yards and only seven TDs. And in the next two seasons, well, injuries humbled him and the Browns management. Now, this season, they restructured the QB’s contract not just once but twice. The Browns had inked a five-year deal with $230M Watson in 2022, locking him in until 2027. The team offered him a $44.96M signing bonus. Cleveland was riding too high at that time; they did not hesitate to sign a $230M fully guaranteed deal with him.

But now, suffering failure season after season, they appear to have come to their senses. The team needed to free up some space as they were over the salary cap. As per multiple reports, Andrew Berry and the team have adjusted Deshaun Watson’s contract. They needed to clear $23 million in cap space, so they turned this year’s $44.745 million salary into a bonus. After restructuring, they have freed up almost $36 million in their cap space before free agency. The QB will now have a base salary of $1.255 million for the season. Watson’s new contract also does not include his lock-up with the team until 2027. Translation: they will part ways with him before that.

Their contract trouble with the QB is not entirely over, as the team still owes him $92 million over the next two seasons. Whispers of a way out from the contract without paying him have fizzled out. But this move speaks volumes about Watson’s future (or the lack of one) with the team. They are already eyeing a rookie QB as well as a veteran. Shedeur Sanders’ name has been linked to the team. And HC Kevin Stefanski also had a meeting with the Colorado star at the Combine. And rumors suggest they could look to bring in a bridge QB to mentor the newbie as well.

What can we say… gamble responsibly?