The NFL is an unforgiving sport. You can be a highly rated rookie one moment, and out the league entirely the next.
Just ask former first round draft pick JaMarcus Russell, selected by the Oakland Raiders in 2007, who is remembered as one of the biggest busts of all time.
15 years on from Russell’s last NFL game in 2009, the quarterback’s name was invoked by a ranting Stephen A. Smith, to illustrate just how bad one current player is performing.
Smith was referring to Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, following a 34-13 defeat to the Washington Commanders.
Stephen A. Smith on Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson is under the spotlight after a terrible start to the season in Cleveland, which was already a make-or-break year for him.
Despite Watson’s incredible salary, there are calls for the Browns to try a different approach, amid a 1-4 start to the 2024 season.
Outspoken analyst Stephen A. Smith did not hold back in a rant on First Take about Watson’s quarterback play.
He said: “Deshaun Watson is awful, it’s so awful that if somebody wanted to arrest him for being awful, I would accept it. It’s that bad.”
He elaborated: “It’s not funny because, I want to put this in perspective, his QBR against the Washington Commanders was 8.5.
“Do you know that wasn’t even his worst QBR this season? It was 8.3 against the Cowboys in week one.
“Zach Wilson had higher QBR’s than that. JaMarcus Russell had higher QBR’s than that. You can’t make this up.”
When Watson is being compared unfavorably to JaMarcus Russell, you know it is bad.
Smith added: “He looks defeated, he looks like he has given up. You could see his teammates don’t even believe in him any more.
“His heart ain’t in it. He has been completely demoralized.”
Smith’s comments probably won’t help the matter.
Watson gets Stefanski backing
Deshaun Watson is still the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked about Watson after the loss to Washington and he insisted he is not going to make a change right now.
Cleveland Browns fans are not happy Watson will stay as the starter – yet this decision may not purely be performance related.
Watson earns $230 million guaranteed, a decision from the Browns front office which looked odd at the time, and even worse now.
