The decision to trade for Deshaun Watson looks worse by the day.
If that’s even possible.
Not only has it been a disaster on the field, it’s pitted the forever loyal but had-it-up-to-here Browns fan base against the quarterback of its favorite team. Watson pushed things over the edge by taking shots at the fans during the preseason, and the resentment/hatred toward him has spread to new coach Todd Monken for naming Watson the starter to open the season.
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The trip to Tampa for the matchup Sunday vs. the Buccaneers is a reminder why so many fans’ frustration has turned to anger.
It could be Watson’s final game as starter, and possibly with the Browns. If he struggles again, Monken will seriously consider turning to Shedeur Sanders for the home opener next week against the Panthers.
The Buccaneers game is also a reminder of what the Browns gave up in Baker Mayfield when they pursued Watson after the 2021 season.
Of course, the Browns would be better off with Mayfield. That’s not a question.
In 20 games with the Browns, Watson hasn’t approached the player Mayfield was before the Browns traded him. And Mayfield has further established himself since arriving in Tampa in 2023 after short stints with the Panthers and Rams.
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Mayfield has started every game in three-plus years with the Bucs, going 27-25 in the regular season, reaching the postseason twice and winning a playoff game.
The Cleveland fans who thought Mayfield could do no wrong and always hated the acquisition of Watson have long been vindicated. Again, Mayfield over Watson is a no-brainer.
The discussion doesn’t end there. Just because Mayfield is a much better option than Watson doesn’t mean the Browns were wrong to seek an upgrade when they did.
Mayfield was heading into the last year of his rookie contract and would’ve been looking for a new deal, one that paid him at the top of the market. That’s how it works with quarterbacks, especially those who were drafted No. 1.
The Browns determined he wasn’t the right quarterback to commit to and lead them to the Super Bowl. Hence, the pursuit of Watson despite all the sexual assault and misconduct allegations.
Watson had been a top-five quarterback when he last played in 2020. He had played better than Mayfield ever had, including leading the NFL in passing in 2020.
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The Browns can’t be faulted for wanting more at the game’s most important position. Having an elite quarterback is the best indicator of consistent success in the NFL.
Watson hasn’t come close to being elite since the Browns traded three first-round draft picks and gave him a guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. He appears washed up after years of inactivity, injuries and poor play.
The question is whether Mayfield has been, or will ever be, the guy to lead a franchise to a championship.
The Bucs just paid him like he is. After a stalemate he signed a three-year, $165 million contract during Week 1. The average of $55 million a year ties him for sixth among NFL quarterbacks.
He’s not the sixth-best quarterback, which illustrates the difficult spot an organization can find itself in with a quarterback who’s good but not great. It’s a huge risk to not pay him, then try to find someone better. You’re giving up a known commodity and potentially alienating the fan base.
But paying too much for the wrong guy can be just as big a gamble. The ceiling isn’t high enough. The frustration of not advancing in the playoffs builds.
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Of course, true franchise quarterbacks are more difficult to come by than reasonably priced gasoline. So if a team isn’t fortunate enough to have Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow, they’re always hoping their guy turns into one — at least for one magical Super Bowl run.
Mayfield’s contract ranks much higher than he does in my ranking of quarterbacks.
Allen, Mahomes, Jackson, Burrow, Matthew Stafford, Trevor Lawrence, Dak Prescott, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Justin Herbert and Brock Purdy are easy choices for me ahead of Mayfield. I’d also take Jared Goff, Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts.
This puts Mayfield in the middle of the pack.
He’s fun to watch, he’s a great competitor and beloved by teammates. He can get hot and carry a team. He also turns it over way too much and has yet to show he can consistently win big.
Browns fans would love to be debating his pros and cons — or anyone in his tier — on the way to the playoffs.
Instead, Watson and his contract have kept the Browns from taking another big swing at a quarterback. Unless Sanders emerges this season as the future, which doesn’t seem likely, the Browns are expected to take their next shot next year in the draft.
Hope will return. The stakes will be high. He, too, will be compared to Mayfield.
