The Browns’ Deshaun Watson period is over. Why Dorian Thompson-Robinson ought to be QB for now

CLEVELAND — We all know the ultimate chapter now of the Deshaun Watson saga in Cleveland. It formally ended at 2:18 p.m. Sunday on the 23-yard line when Watson crumpled to the bottom clutching his proper heel in agony.

The ruptured Achilles will probably be confirmed Monday and the Browns will start their catastrophe reduction program of determining easy methods to transfer ahead from right here.

Deshaun Watson has performed his final snap as a member of the Cleveland Browns.

Browns HC Kevin Stefanski informed reporters that the staff believes Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles damage, with extra exams forward to verify.

Right here is the play on which Watson was injured: pic.twitter.com/zt4GfnRxi3

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 20, 2024

Now, we will declare what has been suspected for months: That is formally the worst commerce within the historical past {of professional} sports activities. Assuming he doesn’t take one other snap, Watson’s time right here ends with extra sexual assault allegations (27) than video games performed (19). He gained 9 video games because the Browns’ quarterback. The staff paid him $25.56 million per victory, with two extra years nonetheless to go on this interminable contract.

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There shall be loads of time within the days, weeks and months forward to sift via the carnage of how they obtained right here. For now, the Browns have one other sport subsequent weekend in opposition to the Baltimore Ravens and any person has to take the snaps. They’re 1-6 and the season is sabotaged, however there are nonetheless 10 video games to go and so they completely matter. The following 2 1/2 months will decide who will get fired and what number of gamers should be changed as a result of it could actually’t come again like this once more subsequent 12 months.

The Browns had been already trending towards Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback, the damage to Watson simply expedited that course of. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey informed Thompson-Robinson a number of instances final week to “be prepared.” Solely no one bothered to inform him what precisely to be able to see.

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The choice had been made to advertise DTR to be the backup quarterback, however they didn’t hassle telling him that till over the weekend, simply hours earlier than the sport. He spent the week operating the scout staff, as traditional.

“Our backups actually don’t get reps with those,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski mentioned.

When the Browns ran via their short-yardage packages throughout Saturday’s walk-through, it was Watson — not Jameis Winston — who took the snaps from heart. Among the gamers had been puzzled. Watson has by no means been the short-yardage quarterback right here. Beforehand, the Browns went as far as to make use of a backup tight finish because the short-yardage quarterback to maintain Watson from doing it as a result of he’s by no means been excellent at it and it uncovered him to pointless hits. However this sort of begin to a season forces groups to get out of their consolation zone.

The plan was lastly revealed when Winston was inactive Sunday and Thompson-Robinson was elevated to the backup function. I consider Stefanski was finally making ready to bench Watson earlier than later and switch to Thompson-Robinson as his starter, however there’s no want for anybody to confess that now.

Thompson-Robinson was thrust into the beginning function Sunday when Watson went down and he regarded as unprepared as he did final 12 months when he was unexpectedly dumped right into a begin at dwelling in opposition to the Ravens simply hours earlier than kickoff.

Watson insisted all through that week he was going to play in opposition to Baltimore regardless of a proper shoulder damage, so the coaches and gamers took him at his phrase. Then he mentioned the morning of the sport he couldn’t go, leaving Thompson-Robinson to make his first profession begin as a rookie fifth-round decide with no discover and little preparation. He was a large number in that sport, simply as he was a large number on Sunday.

“Form of gave me flashbacks of being again on the Ravens sport final 12 months and that feeling I don’t need, feeling that has a nasty style in my mouth,” Thompson-Robinson mentioned Sunday. “I have to look myself within the mirror and ensure I’m popping out ready subsequent week.”

Thompson-Robinson was 11 of 24 for 82 yards and two interceptions in opposition to the Bengals. However, the Browns can’t flip again now. He ought to begin subsequent week in opposition to those self same Ravens with a full week of preparation and each week thereafter so long as he can stay wholesome. He was pressured out of Sunday’s sport within the fourth quarter with an damage to his proper center finger, which was closely wrapped after the sport. He fell on it when he was sacked, which made gripping a soccer tough. He had X-rays taken after the sport, however the outcomes gained’t be introduced till Monday.

DTR exhibits off the wheels

📺: #CINvsCLE on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/t44VXz4vJJ

— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024

Offered there’s nothing damaged and he can grip a ball by Wednesday’s apply, he ought to be the quarterback for the remainder of the season. There is no such thing as a profit to taking part in Winston at this level. The Browns know who he’s.

Thompson-Robinson stays a 24-year-old unknown. The chances are he’s most likely a profession backup, however the Browns want a definitive reply to that by the top of the season. Now they’ve the time to get it. He made three begins final 12 months as a rookie and appeared to be figuring issues out in a loss at Denver earlier than he was knocked out of the sport with a concussion.

As soon as the Browns signed Joe Flacco, he returned to a backup function and briefly performed in rubbish time at Houston on Christmas Eve. He managed to dislocate his hip after 5 performs, ending his season. If he can’t keep wholesome, then the Browns will shortly get their reply.

By January, this franchise must know if Thompson-Robinson is an choice for them at quarterback in 2025 and past. If he’s not, they need to be dangerous sufficient to be in place to draft yet one more franchise quarterback in subsequent 12 months’s draft.

It’s an unfathomable place to be in contemplating how a lot money and commerce capital they surrendered to get Watson, nevertheless it’s the fact of their place. How they promote this to veterans like Myles Garrett and Joel Bitonio is one other battle. Can any veteran right here be satisfied to remain via one other rebuild? It definitely seems like that’s what’s coming.

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There’s no simple means out of this. Regardless of the Browns do with Watson’s contract after the season is sure to be painful and embrace extraordinary, historic lifeless cap hits for the subsequent couple of years. However Watson has hardly ever proven the aptitude of being a franchise quarterback since he arrived right here and the Achilles damage all however seals the ending.

Essentially the most polarizing, divisive period within the historical past of the Cleveland Browns has mercifully ended.

The injury is barely starting.