Ken Dorsey will call games for the Cleveland Browns, damage already done to Deshaun Watson’s contract
Known for his play-calling and communication with quarterbacks in a previous life, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski challenged offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey on Wednesday.
Cleveland sees Dorsey in a thankless, almost no-win situation, like a nose-diving plane pulling a parachute as it nears impact.
Jameis Winston steps in to replace Deshaun WatsonStefanski’s co-pilot of this rig called the Browns, there was no place but to go up. The problem is that the heaviest load in the cargo hold cannot be removed to save the mission.
Neither Winston nor Dorsey, Stefanski, Belichick or Parcells have an easy solution to the Watson problem.
Until Watson officially hit injured reserve with season-ending injury For the second consecutive season, his financial cost to Cleveland is only part of the story. Because of the guaranteed deal – unprecedented in the NFL at this rate, position and contract length – general manager Andrew Berry tied the Browns to Watson for several more years. Will their dead-cap figure be released this week? Nearly $120 million and more than $80 million for 2025.
Next year is only slightly better, with the Broncos taking a record $85 million total dead salary cap charge to sign Russell Wilson being split between 2024 and 2025.
Watson’s 2025 dead cap hit will be $118.94 million, with an additional $53 million over the cap in ’26. He will not be a free agent until 2027. You won’t get that money back or the Texans would be given three first-round picks in a trade to get Watson.
With one win in seven matches this season, six games will be played in 2023 and six games in 2022 After serving an 11-game suspensionWatson went back on the shelf, throwing a total of 19 touchdown passes in 19 games for the Browns. His 9-10 record with the Texans since opting out of the 2021 season partly explains why fans in Cleveland decided to cheer on Watson’s second-quarter injury last week.
Choosing a direction with Watson is the first step for Cleveland in determining where the Browns go from here.
Barring a shocking change of owner Jimmy Haslam, Browns general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Stefanski aren’t going anywhere this season or offseason.
Both signed long-term contract extensions in June, partly a reward for Stefanski for leading the Browns to 11 wins and Watson making at least one start with five different quarterbacks in the playoffs in 2023 after shoulder surgery. .
The tandem is 38-37 since being hired in 2020.
Watson is still owed $92 million for the next two seasons. It’s guaranteed, and the only way out of the deal would be to suspend Watson again.
Stefanski didn’t seem like a coach ready to move on from Watson on Monday.
“It’s a tough break for him, but I know he’ll bounce back,” Stefanski said. “But in the locker room, on the practice field, on the playing field, he has been a tremendous contribution to this football team, and we will support him as he recovers from that injury. I think we know what he’s about. I know what he brings to this football team.”