Kevin Stefanski Addresses Futures Of Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco

Stefanski expects Watson to fully recover in time next season from his season-ending shoulder surgery, and he left questions about Flacco’s roster status to the GM

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said the obvious Sunday when he was asked about the state of his QB room for 2024 — and who his quarterback will be to start the year: Deshaun Watson.

"Correct," Stefanski said when asked if that was indeed the plan.

Watson is the only option the Browns have to start next season despite the late-season heroics of 38-year-old Joe Flacco, who almost certainly played his final game Saturday with the Browns in their 45-14 loss in the Wild Card Round to the Texans.

Flacco threw two pick-sixes in the game that led to the bludgeoning, but even after the defeat, it’ll be hard for the Browns to forget just how strongly he played in Cleveland. Flacco passed for 14 touchdowns — the same touchdown total Watson had in 12 career games with the Browns — in his six games with Cleveland. He also topped 300 passing yards in his last five games, which is something no QB in franchise history had ever done.

But the Browns have no choice but to move forward with Watson, and a lot of eyes will be on him for the third straight offseason after he underwent major surgery to his throwing shoulder to repair an injury that ended his season in Week 10.

Sep 10, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski congratulates quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) for his touchdown run against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium / © Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Watson has three years left on his massive contract that guaranteed him $230 million, which he signed after the Browns traded three first-round picks and other draft capital to acquire him from the Texans in 2022. Watson went 4-1 in his first starts with the Browns in 2023, but he still has yet to consistently play at the level in which he performed his first four seasons of his career.

The Browns will sorely need that to change next season, and it starts with Watson returning healthy.

"He’s doing great in rehab," Stefanski said. "I’m confident he’ll be ready to roll this spring. He’s chomping at the bit, but he’s doing everything he’s supposed to do when it comes to what the doctors are telling him and as he rehabs through this. He’ll be ready to roll.”

The Browns likely have too much invested in Watson to re-sign Flacco as a backup. Flacco can probably fetch a decent contract to sign elsewhere as a backup QB, and the Browns last spring drafted Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the fifth round as a way to develop a long-term backup QB on a cheap, rookie-minimum deal to save cap space.

There’s also no promise that Flacco, who turns 29 on Tuesday, will be able to play at the same level in his small sample size with the Browns this season ever again.

Stefanski said little when asked if the Browns would re-sign him and directed the question to general manager Andrew Berry.

"I’d leave all those things up to, obviously, Andrew (Berry) in the offseason," Stefanski said. "I will say this about Joe. Joe was awesome for this football team. He did a great job, battled like crazy. I know he enjoyed it. We obviously wish yesterday’s outcome was different, but I have a ton of respect for Joe and what he was able to do.”

Flacco didn't immediately address his future following the loss Saturday, but he voiced his appreciation for Cleveland and wanted to process the game and the season before making any decisions.

“I love it here and we’re dealing with so much right now, just going through the emotions of this game and being so excited to be in this position and now to come up empty,” he said. “So I think that’s where my head is, is just kind of trying to soak it all in and let this digest a little bit.”

Regardless of what Berry decides with Flacco, Watson is back to QB1. That can be a great thing if he manages to play at a high level again, similar to how he ended the season when he played through his injury to lead the Browns to a win over the Ravens.

Or that can put the Browns right where they’ve been for most of the time so far before and during the Watson era: when the uncertainty about the QB position seemingly never stops.