The Browns have dropped to 1-5 on the season after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles 20-16. This is the team's 4th loss in a row. The last time the Browns went this long without a win was weeks 4-7 in 2022. Most NFL teams are not eliminated from the playoff picture yet in October, but unfortunately, the Browns aren't like most teams.
Despite having the worst passing offense in the NFL, the Browns are sticking with QB Deshaun Watson, with Kevin Stefanski stating "I think he gives us the best chance to win." It's hard to believe the offense will turn it around without change, so realistically Cleveland is looking down the barrel of a losing season. One could argue the aftermath of a losing season is worse than living it week by week. The reason is that with a season this bad, massive changes will be coming.
Let's just start with the roster changes that are coming this offseason. Currently, as it stands, 25 players are set to hit free agency in March. Among that list, 12 players are starters or have at least started one game this season. The most famous names on the list are running back Nick Chubb, wide receiver Amari Cooper, left tackle Jed Wills, wide receiver Elijah Moore, and safety Rodney McLeod. Sure, the Browns could resign one or more of the players, but due to the contract of Watson, the Browns don't have the flexibility to spend on free agents.
Now, the Browns can once again restructure Watson's contract like they've done in years past, but that's also assuming Watson is still here in 2025. Remember, the Denver Broncos ate 85 million dollars just to get Russell Wilson off their roster, and no one can debate how much worse Watson's production is this year compared to Wilson's last year.
Then, there's also the other aspect of likely turnover after a losing season: the coaching staff and front office. NFL teams fire coaches and general managers all the time. Look at the New York Jets, who just terminated their head coach Robert Saleh last week despite having a better record than the Browns this year. Now, while people speculate new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey would be the first on the chopping block, there's no guarantee Kevin Stefanski will be retained. Of the 8 coaches that were fired last year, two had made the playoffs the year prior.
His coach of the year accolades don't make him untouchable, either. Mike Vrabel won the award in 2021 but was fired two years later. After all, Kevin Stefanski is adamant it's his decision to continue starting Watson despite him being a statically bottom-five quarterback.
General Manager Andrew Berry isn't safe either. He was the one who not only executed the trade but gave Watson the 230 Million fully guaranteed contract. Whether Watson turns it around or not, he's still due 172 million once this season is over. Between the contract and giving away three first-round picks, the move prevented building an overall great roster.
With an offense that is struggling so hard, using a first-round pick to add another offensive tackle or an explosive skill player would have helped this team. The second the Browns decide to bench or move on from Watson, Andrew Berry will have to admit the trade and contract was a mistake and will likely pay with his job.
Lastly, a losing season affects the morale of the players and the locker room. This isn't something that can be measured with stats or metrics, but the "buy-in" of players is a very real thing coaches need from their roster. Put yourself in the shoes of one of the leaders on this team, like Myles Garrett. In the first year of the Watson trade in 2022, the quarterback was unavailable for 11 games due to a suspension. So for an entire year, the team punted on the season in hopes Watson would be playoff-ready the next year.
In 2023 Watson had an up-and-down season. Yes, he led the team to four wins but he was inconsistent and couldn't stay on the field. Despite losing their starting QB for the season, Garrett and the rest of the locker room banded together through injuries and made the playoffs without him. They hoped this year would be the year Watson would finally reach the team's expectations. All they witnessed though was a player that doesn't even have a 200-yard passing game to his name and the worst QBR in the league.
We don't know for sure what players are thinking, but it has to be rough to be held back by bad play at quarterback week after week with your coach having no intention of making any changes.
Sure, the Browns can win 10 straight games and make a run at the wildcard, but it's hard to believe they will get better when their schedule gets harder down the stretch. Cleveland has yet to play any tough divisional games and their offense has struggled against teams with bottom 10 defenses. If you can't score 20 points on a rebuilding Las Vegas Raiders team without their best pass rusher, what makes you think you can score on a team like Pittsburgh? Of course, the season isn't over, but it sure feels like it.
