It’s a nightmarish scenario no Cleveland Browns fan could have foreseen – their prized quarterback, Deshaun Watson, taking up a whopping pie of the team’s 2024 salary cap. His staggering cap has left fans scratching their heads at the organization’s risky gamble.

Watson’s mega-deal seems to have backfired, with the former Texans star struggling mightily on the field due to injuries and suspensions. Now, Browns backers fear the team could be headed down a similar path as the Russell Wilson-led Broncos. As Cleveland aims to avoid that Broncos-esque disaster, the pressure is squarely on Watson to finally justify his Jordan-esque price tag.

The Cleveland Browns faithful’s frustration mound on Deshaun Watson

The Browns-Watson fully guaranteed $230 million contract is being met with fervent reactions from the team’s loyal fanbase. Ahead of the 2024 season, Watson’s contract has been branded the “Worst Contract in NFL History” by the Dawg Pound faithful.

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“There isn’t any team that would have paid Watson anywhere close to what the Browns paid him. He’s not close to being in the top QBs discussion,” lamented one fan on X. Another chimed in.  The Browns’ ownership has also been skewered, with one supporter declaring, “Can’t get over how dumb Cleveland ownership is. They wouldn’t know a good QB situation if it gave them a happy ending.”

“He has sucked since he’s been here,” added radio host Adam Gerstenhaber. “We have to stop with this Deshaun Watson played well nonsense. Every single person who has responded that Deshaun Watson had a 4-1 record, those same people were saying it wasn’t his fault when Houston went 4-12 in his last year and he played great.” The Browns faithful are clearly losing patience with their man.

The pressure is mounting on the embattled quarterback to finally justify the colossal investment in him. With the team’s hands tied by his burdensome cap number, Cleveland must now find a way to build a championship-caliber roster around their high-priced signal-caller – a tall task that evokes memories of the Broncos’ own struggles with the Russell Wilson albatross.

Are the browns headed toward a ‘Wilson-Broncos’ showdown?

The specter of the Russell Wilson debacle in Denver looms large over FirstEnergy Stadium. Spotrac’s data reveals the stark similarities – while Mahomes, Jones, and Prescott all have 2024 cap hits south of $40 million, Watson’s whopping $63.9 million figure represents a staggering 25% of the Browns’ total salary cap. It’s a financial albatross that could cripple Cleveland’s ability to build a championship-caliber roster around their high-priced signal-caller, much like what transpired in Denver.

The organization knows all too well the cautionary tale of the Broncos, who saw their Super Bowl aspirations crumble under the weight of Wilson’s massive contract. After acquiring Wilson from the Seahawks in 2022, the Broncos handed him a deal worth $85 million in dead cap money over the next two years. This ultimately led to Wilson’s release, with the veteran QB signing a one-year, $1.21 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Broncos continue to pay the bulk of his $39 million salary in 2024.

The Browns’ future hinges on Watson’s ability to justify the faith and money that has been put on him and lead the team back to the promised land. Anything less, and the Dawg Pound faithful may be howling for a change at the most important position on the field. The countdown to kickoff has never felt more tense in the city of Cleveland.