Deshaun Watson had a rough season debut for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Browns fans are already calling for him to be replaced as QB1. But ESPN’s Rex Ryan, the former New York Jets head coach, took that sentiment to a whole new level, making a bold claim on “Sunday NFL Countdown”: he wouldn’t just bench Watson, he’d have cut him outright in camp. And man, that take is short-sighted to the point of being dangerous for any franchise.
Rex Ryan’s “Cut Him Outright” Take and Why It’s All Backwards
Ryan wasn’t holding back. He said, “No way would I have started him. No way. In fact, I would have cut him.” His reason? Not Watson’s past behavior or his uneven play, but solely because of a press conference where Watson voiced his displeasure about being booed by the Browns faithful. Ryan emphasized, “There’s no more important thing than that fan base. No way in hell.” While it sounds great to any fan frustrated with a player, this perspective completely ignores the cold, hard financial reality of the NFL. It’s like watching a train wreck unfold and saying, “Let’s just make it worse!”
The $40 Million Financial Bomb That Would Sink the Browns
Here’s the real kicker: if the Browns had followed Ryan’s advice and cut Watson in camp around the time of that infamous presser, it would have cost them over $40 million in a cap hit. Think about that for a second. The Browns only have about $16.5 million in cap space to play with right now. Cutting Watson means the team faces two absolutely awful options. Option one: they restructure or cut some of their highest-paid players to clear that insane cap space, which would obviously upset a ton of fans and gut the roster. Option two, and this is the more likely nightmare, Watson’s owed money gets kicked even further down the road. Cleveland is already on the hook for over $136 million to Watson over the next four years, all counting against future caps. Adding another $40 million to that figure should be seen as a fireable offense for any GM, crippling a franchise that has struggled with consistency since way back in 2002.
Honestly, it feels like Ryan just dropped this as a hot take to stir up some interest for his show. The source even says so! A more practical approach for the Browns would have been to bury Watson on the bench or simply send him home, both of which would cost the team way less financially in the long run. The consequences of Ryan’s “no way in hell” move would truly ruin the Browns’ cap figure for years to come. That kind of financial mess could hobble a team for an entire decade, making it nearly impossible to build a contender. It’s a sobering reminder that sports isn’t just about what happens on the field, it’s also about the brutal business decisions behind the scenes.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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