How much longer can the Cleveland Browns keep the Deshaun Watson experiment alive?
Forget about the cap space, forget about the dead money, forget about the implications for a moment. How can head coach Kevin Stefanski continue to go into his locker room and look his veteran leaders in the eye as he trots out a quarterback they have little hope of building anything sustainable with offensively?
The veterans are going to quit. Perhaps they have already started to given the performance of wide receiver Amari Cooper and more. What incentive does defensive end Myles Garrett have to continue to play through injury? Why would Nick Chubb want to rush back onto the field if this is the product the Browns are going to put on the field?
After another abysmal showing against the Washington Commanders, how can Stefanski continue to put his job security on the line for Watson? Does he have a message from someone above him to stick with the quarterback he is becoming visibly and obviously upset with on the sideline?
It has not worked out with Watson. And someone will more than likely lose their job for it. But why does Stefanski have to make himself that martyr after running a fluent offense with a Day 3 rookie, a practice squad player, and a 40-year-old off the couch a year ago?
They will remain coy in their postgame press conference, but that locker room cannot be in a good place. And there is nothing the Browns can do about it to win it back until they start with their biggest mistake.
Their season is likely already over after a 1-4 start. Maybe they want to see it through with Watson at this point because the best that could happen is a shiny draft pick to potentially draft his heir apparent.
This, however, is a sure way to lose the respect of the veterans in the locker room and those who consume the product.