It’s another tough pill to swallow for Cleveland Browns fans as the team wrapped up yet another disappointing season, finishing with a 3-14 record. The Browns, despite the lack of sparkle they once hoped for from Deshaun Watson, decided to double down on their commitment to the quarterback for the 2025 season. But in a bid to shake things up, they showed Ken Dorsey the door.
Dorsey’s hiring was a head-scratcher right from the start. His time with the Buffalo Bills was rocky, even with the prowess of Josh Allen at his disposal. Under his guidance, the Browns’ offense sputtered, bottoming out at an average of just 15.2 points per game and racking up the fifth-fewest yards in the league with a mere 300.8 per game. With Watson’s contract recently restructured, there’s immense pressure to see a turnaround in 2025. One potential spark? Rekindling some old chemistry from Watson’s days with the Houston Texans.
Enter Josh McCown. Currently serving as the quarterbacks coach for the Minnesota Vikings, McCown has been instrumental in transforming Sam Darnold’s game to MVP levels. Darnold’s stats this season are nothing short of stellar: 4,153 yards, 35 touchdowns, and a mere 12 interceptions. McCown’s credentials aren’t just limited to Minnesota; last year he polished his coaching chops with the Carolina Panthers. His transition into coaching has been seamless, thanks in large part to his extensive experience as a former NFL quarterback himself.
McCown’s 22-season-long career included a vital stint with the Houston Texans in 2020, where he served as backup to Watson. That year, Watson reached a career zenith, throwing for 4,823 yards and 33 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, while adding 444 rushing yards—a testament to the chemistry between the two.
This potential reunion could be the Browns’ best shot at reviving Watson’s magic. With McCown’s depth of knowledge and first-hand experience of Watson’s peak performance, he just might hold the key to unlocking the quarterback’s full potential once again. By pulling out all the stops for a McCown-Watson reunion, Cleveland is hoping to prove that Watson still has what it takes to be the franchise quarterback they long believed he could be.
