CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson was supposed to be the one, the missing piece to return Cleveland’s forlorn franchise to fame.
That was the plan. The Browns did their part to make it happen.
They’re still waiting for Watson to fulfill his end.
On the eve of a make-or-break third season in Cleveland, there are lingering questions and even some doubts about whether Watson, who has only played 12 games in the past four years due to an NFL suspension in 2022 and a season-ending shoulder injury last season, can deliver anything close to the enormous expectations that accompanied his controversial arrival.
To this point, Watson has spent more time standing on the sideline than behind center.
And when he has played, there have only been fleeting flashes of greatness.
The rest has been underwhelming and statistically poor for a three-time Pro Bowler, who passed for a league-high 4,823 yards in 2020 and less than half of that the past two years combined.