Browns GM Andrew Berry says the team will address the Deshaun Watson situation “at a later date.”

There is a path to divorce that would be financially viable: The Browns could trade Watson this summer in a move after June 1 and hit a cap hit of $46 million. Such a deal could be similar to the one the Browns accepted from Houston in 2017 when they acquired quarterback Brock Osweiler's bloated contract in exchange for the Texans' second-round pick in the 2018 draft – who eventually became star running back Nick Chubb – and a 2017 sixth-round pick.

However, there is no guarantee that such a deal is possible now unless the Browns are willing to part with a similarly high-value pick, further increasing the cost of the regrettable decision to acquire Watson.

Even if Berry has no interest in thinking about it at the moment, numerous others have, and the post-mortem isn't pretty. We'll never know who made the final decision on the Watson deal, but for now Berry and the owners share responsibility.

“I would say like we always said, we were all on board,” Berry said. “Everyone is on board and of course with great commitment in this regard, it will always remain that way.”

When it comes to charting a course for the future, it's difficult to predict how things will turn out for this organization.

Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski have provided the franchise with the most stability since its return as an expansion team in 1999. Stefanski has been named Coach of the Year twice, has a 1-2 record in three playoff appearances and has managed to keep the team on a relatively steady track, even with frequent changes under center.

Despite his successes, the remaining eight games feel significant. If the Browns continue heading into a dismal offseason at their current pace, anything seems possible in terms of possible changes to the coaching staff and front office.

With their playoff hopes all but gone, the Browns still have openings in 2024.

“This is of course a disappointment. We didn’t play well enough,” Berry said. “We didn't do the things that were necessary to get consistent results and consistent wins all season long. It's disappointing for us internally, disappointing for our fans and really all of us have a stake in the outcome. It's not just our players and coaches. It's me, it's our staff, it's our research group. Our focus this week is doing the things we can to play good football in the final eight weeks of the regular season.”

However, it looks like Watson may have played his final game in a Browns jersey — although Berry left the door open for a return, telling reporters, “There's always the possibility of that.”

In the end, the Browns found themselves in a painfully familiar situation with a team that has proven it is good enough to make the playoffs in 2023 but is missing a franchise quarterback. It's up to Berry to come up with a plan to fix the problem in 2025 – assuming he sticks around long enough to implement it.