It almost feels like it’s the season of injuries this year, all the big names are going down. The year already started with last season’s NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Christian McCaffrey, injured at training camp. Then Russell Wilson likewise was out with training camp injuries, though he’s made a spectacular comeback. And then Tua Tagovailoa went down with his third recorded NFL concussion, though he says that won’t keep him away. And who could forget the penitent Patrick Mahomes taking out Rashee Rice‘s knee? Well, now Deshaun Watson’s out for the season with an Achilles injury.

But Watson’s injury posed a massive issue for the Clevland Browns. With so much of their salary cap tied up in his contract, options looked pretty thin on the ground. Backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (DTR) has suffered a finger injury, and Jameis Winston’s been unimpressive this season, with a 50% completion percentage. NFL Insider Adam Schefter, after he got done chewing out the contract, had interesting advice for the Browns. “You’ve got to hit on a young quarterback, in a friendly-type contract. Because your franchise right now is buried under the avalanche,” he said in an interview with Unsportsmanlike Radio. It seems the Browns were quick to follow up on the advice, having already recruited 25-year-old Bailey Zappe from the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad.

Details are thin on the ground about the duration and value of the contract as of now. He has a record of 11 touchdowns over 14 appearances, but also 12 interceptions, so his game needs refinement. The New England Patriots didn’t see enough potential in him to keep him around, certainly. Is it possible he’ll grow into a more mature quarterback under the Browns? Only time will tell, but for now he’ll probably be a backup to Jameis Winston until DTR’s good to go.

It all keeps coming down to the Browns’ immense misfire with the contract they gave Deshaun Watson. First things first, the decision to give him a contract in the first place was controversial. But Jimmy Haslam bet big on him, definitely too big. They’re going to be paying Deshaun Watson $72.9 million both in 2025 and 2026, regardless of injury. It almost feels like he spent more time off the field than on it since they traded a ridiculous 3 first-round-picks to the Texans for him. They annihilated their player cap for someone who first served an 11 game suspension from the NFL in his first season with them. Then season 2 ended in a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 10, and now this, an Achilles injury in Week 7. How are the Browns going to recover with their star (for lack of a better word) quarterback out?

Did Watson’s injury sink the Browns’ campaign?

Browns fans have to be honest with themselves, really. The Browns campaign has been sinking from the start. At 1-6, there is not a single team in the league doing worse than them, and only 2 doing equally bad. You know you’re not in esteemed company when it’s the Carolina Panthers and the 2024 Patriots you’re rubbing shoulders with (both also 1-6). Their sole win was against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and even they have 2 wins now. With two of their quarterbacks injured, and no team cohesion, a bottom of the league finish isn’t out of the question.

Browns’ head coach Kevin Stefanski has his hands full, and we can’t tell what he’ll do to turn things around. Frankly, Jameis Winston’s going to have a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, maybe too much. He hasn’t played a full season since before the pandemic, and his performance has dipped of late. And though hiring Zappe was probably a good call, it wouldn’t be right to expect too much of him. His track record falls short of phenomenal, though with proper guidance, he might develop his game.

Of their next three games – against the Ravens, the Chargers, and the Saints – they could maybe hope to win one. Getting more than halfway through the season with only 2 wins to their name, a playoff finish seems near impossible. Assuming they even get that second win. And with their salary cap hamstrung by the Watson contract, they can’t even really plan for the future. Things are looking grim for the Ohio boys this season, it’ll take a long time for the franchise to recover from their current state.