ESPN analyst wonders how Browns would have performed without Deshaun Watson as their "albatross."

Despite losing to the Denver Broncos on "Monday Night Football," the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback, Jameis Winston, has kept the team competitive.

He has triumphed against the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, both of whom are divisional opponents.

On Monday, as the first half of the clock ticked down, ESPN color commentator and Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman analyzed the Browns' quarterback dilemma.

He referred to Deshaun Watson, the beleaguered quarterback who is out for the rest of the season, as an "albatross" during his synopsis.

Aikman commenced his monologue, stating that the league is tough and parity is often discussed, but when it comes to one's hometown team, nobody wants to hear it. Kevin Stefanski is an exceptional football coach, and he has proven it with his two Coach of the Year awards. Despite facing challenges such as starting four quarterbacks and being injured, Stefanski led the team to the postseason last year.

"The albatross of this year has been Deshaun Watson. If we had gone to Jameis Winston earlier in the year, it would have looked different. The defensive struggles, in part, have been due to the inept offense's inability to move the football. This has also affected the defensive play."

When Winston had 355 passing yards and Jeudy caught six of those passes for 167 yards and a touchdown, Aikman doubled down on his earlier statement.

"If Jameis had taken over Cleveland's quarterback position from the start or much sooner, it's hard not to imagine how the team's season would have looked different," Aikman said. "Despite Deshaun Watson's torn Achilles, it was a struggle offensively watching him."

The Browns' playoff chances are slim, but they have a lot of work to do in evaluating their quarterback position after Watson's injury.

In the games, Watson achieved 1,148 passing yards, with five touchdowns and three interceptions, but was sacked 33 times.

In the five games he has started since taking over Stefanski's offense, the Browns have gone 2-3, with the 30-year-old passing for 1,680 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

Cleveland has Watson under contract for $230 million until the 2027 campaign, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Do the Browns want Watson to recover and attempt to regain his success with the Texans, or do they want to move on from the off-the-field allegations and suspension that have followed him?

The Browns will ponder those questions while assessing Winston during the team's final five games, commencing with a rematch against the Steelers on Sunday in Pittsburgh.

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