NFL
Browns Owners Pushing Deshaun Watson as 2026 Starter Amid Growing QB Debate
2 minread2 minutes read
Cincinnati Bengals v Cleveland Browns by Jason Miller | Getty Images
With oft-injured and ineffective quarterback Deshaun Watson back from another Achilles injury, and the draft complete, Browns ownership has kicked into overdrive to begin getting their fans ready for something most have seemingly already had enough of.
After making arguably the worst trade/signing in modern pro sports history to land Watson from Houston in 2022, and getting virtually nothing but angst and boos from it to this point, the Haslam family clearly isn’t ready to throw in the towel.
They began selling local media on Watson’s return this week and expect the PR blitz to continue in Cleveland and the push to anoint Watson as their starter, with his health and bloated contract now the deciding factor even though this coaching staff is legitimately intrigued by second-year QB Shedeur Sanders.
Where Has All The Money Gone?
“Dude, you know exactly where this is coming from,” one general manager said.
“Jimmy Haslam has paid this guy $180M and he’s got nothing to show for it… He’s trying to get blood from a stone but it’s not going to work. Watson is done.”
Watson, 31, was among the least effective quarterbacks in the NFL prior to his latest injury, struggling to push the ball downfield, often getting rid of it too quickly, and at times looking more like a backup-level option. Despite that, he is still one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league and is due another $46 million this season in the final year of his controversial contract.
Some league sources believe Browns ownership is holding out hope that Watson – who sat out a lengthy suspension early in his Cleveland tenure following off-field misconduct allegations, can show enough form to secure a free-agent deal elsewhere next year, potentially delivering the franchise a compensatory draft pick in return.
“That’s not going to happen,” the GM said.
“We’ve seen enough of this guy to know that’s not going to happen.”
Watson has nine total wins as a Browns quarterback. Barring another injury, he’ll quite likely get an opportunity to win a few more.
La Canfora has covered over 20 Super Bowls and League Meetings and NFL drafts, building a wide network of sources throughout all aspects of the game. He was an award winning print journalist as well, working at The Detroit Free Press and The Baltimore Sun prior to his first stint at The Washington Post. He has covered sporting events around the world, including two Winter Olympics and all of the 2006 World Cup. He attended his first NFL game in 1978, and would soon kindle what has become a lifelong love and appreciation of the sport. La Canfora is also a professional handicapper, specializing in the NFL, creating a daily sports wagering game show - "Wanna Bet?" He also hosts nationally broadcast NFL radio shows in the US, as well as a daily sports radio show in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.