The Cleveland Browns have a tough choice to make this offseason: who’s the next starter?
After a 2025 campaign that saw three different quarterbacks take the field for live game action and a relatively disappointing 2024 season, the Browns need to find a way to make 2026 worthwhile for everyone involved.
And one player who might be able to surge this team to success is veteran signal caller Deshaun Watson.
The 30-year-old hasn’t played a snap for the Browns since going down with an Achilles tear back in the 2024 campaign. He then reaggravated the injury in January 2025 while rehabbing. By the end of the season, he ended up returning to practice but was not activated for any games as he continued to recover.
Heading into the upcoming season, he’ll be competing against second-year players Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders for a spot in the depth chart.
Former NFL general manager Ran Carthon, who led the Tennessee Titans in 2023 and 2024, while also spending stints as an executive with the San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams and Atlanta Falcons, commented that he believes Watson shouldn’t be slept on to force his way into a battle for QB1.
“I don’t know that they’re going to roll with either one of these rookies,” Carthon said. “But for whatever reason, I get the feeling of, don’t sleep on Deshaun Watson. Because of the money they owe him, they have to pay it regardless. So I don’t think Deshaun Watson is just going to come into camp and lie down and allow these rookies to beat him out.
“If they make it an open competition, Deshaun Watson legitimately has a chance to win it.”
Through his three seasons of time on the field in Cleveland, he’s tossed for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on a 61.2% completion mark. He’s been impressive in little spurts, but not good enough to warrant praise.
His record also shows that winning isn’t happening, no matter who’s under center. Since 2022, the Browns have played nine different quarterbacks. During Watson’s time as the team’s starter, he amassed a 9-10 record, while the rest of the quarterback platoon posted a 17-42 record.
So, Cleveland really doesn’t have a reason not to give Watson a chance, at least with the other younger arms still looking unpolished. Browns general manager Andrew Berry agrees with that sentiment as he confirmed Watson would at least be on the team for the 2026 season.
“[F]irst, I’ll say we’re very pleased with how Deshaun went through and attacked his rehab this past year, how he engaged with the team, what he did in the meeting rooms,” Berry said. “Very pleased with the progress that he made in that regard.
“Look, I can never predict the future, but right now we do anticipate him being on the 2026 team. But we have a long way to go before we get to that point with any player.”
Another national figure, analyst Rich Eisen, believes that, due to the sheer investment the team put into Watson, the Browns have no choice but to give him another go.
“Deshaun Watson. Don’t you think he’s starting next year? Why wouldn’t they give it one last run? For all the money that you put in his pocket, if he’s ready to play, see what you got,” Eisen said.
No one seems to know who the edge is currently being given to, especially with Sanders finishing this past season with some uncomfortable moments. He frequently turned the ball over that led to games being thrown into the balance. Gabriel, who had rookie hiccups as well, was benched mid-season for Sanders and will have to show major signs of growth this offseason to even get looks from the coaching staff.
Either way, whether it’s Gabriel, Sanders, Watson or a newcomer, the final say will probably come down to the team’s next head coach.
That search remains underway and will continue for a few weeks.
