After years of the Dawg Pound’s cries, co-owner Jimmy Haslam laid down his guard. Cleveland took one of the biggest swings in NFL history. Three first-round picks. $230 million guaranteed. All in on Deshaun Watson. And now, Jimmy is calling it what it is: a “big swing-and-miss.” That’s not a jab. It’s just reality.

The Browns bet the house on Watson, and so far, the return has looked like a losing hand. Watson’s availability—or lack thereof—has been hard to swallow. And why not? Since 2020, he’s missed 66 of 85 possible games (that is, if he doesn’t suit up in the 2025 season). That’s almost four full seasons.

But even with an elite skill set, how do you rebound at quarterback when you’ve been more inactive than the Pro Bowl defense you’re supposed to lead? He’s thrown 19 touchdowns and 12 picks in 19 games with Cleveland. So, no promise, even when he has been on the gridiron. That’s not franchise QB material.

“We thought we had the quarterback; we didn’t… And we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him, so we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole,” Haslam said at the NFL’s annual meeting. So yeah, the Browns are digging. And with Kevin Stefanski under pressure and the roster too good to waste, they needed a plan B with some juice. Enter: Joe Cool. No, not the ‘07 Ravens version. We’re talking 2023’s unlikeliest hero—Joe Flacco. The 40-year-old who walked off the couch and into Comeback Player of the Year.

He’s back on a one-year deal, $4 million guaranteed, up to $13 million with incentives. The Browns didn’t just bring in a veteran arm. They made sure to run it back. Hoping that they have brought back the ’23 Joe. Who quite literally saved their season. And now, he is the medicine for their pain as the Browns social media team used the famous Christopher Walken meme template, ‘I got a fever’, with their own flavor. It read: “I got a fever and the only prescription is more FLACCO!” 

Meanwhile, the biggest flex for the Browns is not even that. Rather, it’s the fact that Flacco chose a Cleveland reunion over the Steelers and Vikings. That says something. He’s betting on himself. He’s betting on the fact that the Browns would be believing in him.

So now, the Browns’ QB room looks like a film you’ve already seen… But this time, it has to be a blockbuster. Cleveland can’t afford another flop.

Deshaun Watson is dialing in

Deshaun Watson isn’t saying much publicly, but he’s had enough. So, he dropped a rehab video that felt more like a trailer for a comeback movie. “Everyone’s doubting me. Everyone don’t believe in me… I know I’m going to be way better than before.” This wasn’t some motivational fluff—it felt like a guy quietly gearing up for one last swing at redemption. But here’s the part Browns fans are quietly wrestling with: What if this is just noise?

Let’s call it like it is—Watson hasn’t been that guy in Cleveland. He’s played just 19 games in three seasons. The production? Meh. The QBR? 34.2. That’s barely starter-tier. Now, after two Achilles surgeries in three months, the team isn’t even putting a date on his return. “He’s where he’s supposed to be,” Kevin Stefanski said. That’s coach speak for we have no clue when he’s coming back. And in the meantime? Cleveland is paying him $46 million per year to, well, maybe not play. That’s a lot of cap space for a maybe.

Meanwhile, the Browns signed Joe Flacco. They’re keeping Kenny Pickett around. But their name keeps popping up next to one draft prospect in particular—Shedeur Sanders. It’s not random. If Watson can’t go, and the front office has already labeled the trade a “big swing-and-miss,” why wouldn’t they reload in 2025?

The plan could be simple: Let Flacco or Pickett bridge it while Shedeur gets NFL-ready. And if the rookie looks sharp out the gate, well, Joe can slide back into clipboard duty. That setup gives Stefanski options—and a little breathing room.

But here’s the twist: the Steelers are lurking. Pittsburgh is now hosting Sanders for a pre-draft visit. Odds have shifted. What looked like a Browns’ dream story has some bumps. For now, it’s the Flacco reunion that’s the noise, and the hope that it could be Watson’s year.