Even if Deshaun Watson hadn’t re-injured his Achilles and had a second surgery, the Cleveland Browns would’ve needed another quarterback for 2025. Watson hasn’t shown anything that would suggest he’s good enough to be the Browns franchise quarterback over the past few seasons, and that’s without factoring in his injury history and much more.
The Browns, however, have the second least amount of cap space this offseason, making it difficult to pursue a top quarterback option like Sam Darnold. If the Browns get very creative, there’s a chance they could land someone like Darnold, but they’d also have to hope he signs for much cheaper than he’s expected to.
PFF has him landing a three-year, $123.75 million deal, something the Browns likely wouldn’t be able to pay, even if they got creative.
“The debate surrounding Darnold in the 2025 offseason will likely focus on whether he can be more than just a bridge quarterback. While his raw regular-season stats were impressive — 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions — his performance in key areas was more mixed, with 33 big-time throws balanced by 24 turnover-worthy plays,” PFF wrote.
Could the Browns Trade for Darnold?
The Minnesota Vikings are in a better position than the Cleveland Browns, but they have a tough decision to make about their future quarterback after drafting J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 pick last year.
McCarthy suffered a knee injury and was sidelined for the entire season. Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record before losing in the Wild Card Round to the Los Angeles Rams, 27-9.
Nonetheless, there are question marks in Minnesota.
The Vikings could also franchise-tag and trade him, which might be better for the Browns. Alec Lewis of The Athletic answered a question about the Vikings tagging and dealing him, naming the Browns as a potential option.
“The answer depends on the interest level of quarterback-needy teams. The Raiders, Steelers, Titans, Giants and Browns might be interested. Las Vegas is the most flush with cap space.
“If the Raiders hire a head coach who could build an intriguing enough infrastructure (say, Ben Johnson, though that ship has sailed), Darnold may be interested. In that situation, the Vikings would have to weigh the value of a late-round pick versus what they could potentially recoup as a compensatory pick,” Lewis wrote on January 21.
What do the Browns Want in a Quarterback?
It’s been a very long time since the Cleveland Browns had someone under center they could trust. That’s an issue, something the front office will be tasked with fixing over the next few months.
New offensive coordinator Tommy Rees spoke to the media on Jan. 23 about what he’s looking for in the Browns next quarterback. His answer was the opposite of who Watson is as a player.
“At the end of the day, the quarterback’s job is to solve problems,” Rees said at his introductory press conference on January 23, according to Spencer German of Sports Illustrated.
“You’re going to be tasked 60, 70, 80 times a game to make a decision in a critical moment. And so I’ve always started with the ability to make quick decisions and make the right decisions. So if you said one thing over the other, I want a decision maker at that position.”
Is Darnold a problem solver? Perhaps not, but he’d be better than Watson, and that’d be a step in the right direction for the Browns.
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Browns’ Watson Replacement Predicted to Sign for $124 Million