After trading a major package to acquire Deshaun Watson and then signing him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract, the Cleveland Browns have gotten almost nothing in return.
Injuries, including a twice-torn Achilles, have limited Watson to just 19 starts. He hasn’t played well when healthy either, going 9-10 in those games.
However, Cleveland is giving Watson one last opportunity under new head coach Todd Monken. The former Pro Bowler has a commanding lead in the quarterback competition, according to Dan Labbe and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Watson does have 72 starts and three Pro Bowls on his NFL resume. Most of that came with the Houston Texans, but it’s not outlandish to believe that Watson gives the Browns a better chance to win now than Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, or rookie sixth-round pick Taylen Green.
Of course, that doesn’t mean the Browns, who just traded away Myles Garrett, are prepared to win now. Unless Watson regains his Houston form and pushes Cleveland toward the playoff hunt, the Browns may want to get a look at multiple quarterbacks this season, including Sanders.
Cleveland must decide whether it has a viable starter on its roster before diving into a 2027 draft class that may contain the likes of Dante Moore, LaNorris Sellers, Arch Manning, and Darian Mensah.