BEREA, Ohio – Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry was non-committal when asked Wednesday about Deshaun Watson’s position with the franchise as the quarterback’s struggles continued in Cleveland before suffering a right Achilles tendon tear in Week 7 that ended at the end of the season.

“Our focus with Deshaun, I would say for any player with a season-ending injury and a major injury, is first and foremost making sure he gets healthy from the Achilles injury,” Berry said during a news conference with reporters. during the team’s bye week. “We will deal with everything else at a later time.”

Before the injury, Watson recorded the lowest total QBR among all qualified passers in the NFL. The Browns were 1-5 in Watson’s six starts before the Achilles injury, failing to record 20 points in any of those games.

However, Berry said the offense’s problems were not limited to Watson.

“We didn’t play well as a team or as a unit on offense,” Berry said. “I think a lot of times if you don’t play well on offense, obviously your starting quarterback and your playcaller are going to get the most criticism. But the reality is, in offense, it comes down to organization and synchronization. There’s just a lot of shared ownership across the different position groups in terms of why we didn’t perform.”

Since trading three first-round picks and signing Watson to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract before the 2022 season, Watson has started 19 games, with each of his last two seasons ending due to injury. He missed the final eight games of the 2023 season after undergoing surgery on his throwing shoulder. He served an 11-game suspension to start the 2022 season after more than 20 women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior during massage sessions.

Since his debut in Cleveland, Watson’s 33.8 Total QBR ranks 32nd out of 33 qualifying passers, higher than only Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers.

Berry said he had “full support” for coach Kevin Stefanski’s decision to continue starting Watson before his latest injury. Asked whether the decision to trade for Watson was his decision or an owner’s mandate, Berry said: “We were all on board.”

The Browns still owe Watson $46 million over the next two seasons. Watson has a cap hit of $72.9 million through the 2025 and 2026 seasons, both projected to be the second-highest in the NFL. Cleveland would take dead cap hits of $172 million and $99 million in 2025 and 2026 if the team parted ways with Watson after the season.

A year after finishing with an 11-6 record and making the playoffs, the Browns are tied at 2-7, tied for a tie for worst record in the league.

Jameis Winston has taken over for the injured Watson and Stefanski handed playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey in Week 8. A disappointing first half of the season has led to the team trading away two veteran leaders: wide receiver Amari Cooper, who was traded to the Buffalo Bills, and defensive end Za’Darius Smith, who was dealt to the Detroit Lions before Tuesday’s trade deadline.

When later asked if it is still possible for Watson to return as the Browns’ starting quarterback, Berry said, “Yes, I think that’s always possible.”

Berry declined to review the deal for Watson and whether it was a good trade.

“I’m really not in reflection mode,” he said.