Deshaun Watson is playing for his Cleveland Browns future against Baker Mayfield and if he doesn’t produce, it could lead to him being sent away from the team.
Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com warned that Sunday’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could mark the end of Watson’s time under center in Cleveland. Her recommendation goes beyond turning the offense over to Shedeur Sanders.
“If he loses his head-to-head battle with Mayfield, the player he replaced here, he might never take another snap for the Browns, and his tumultuous Cleveland tenure will be over,” Cabot said. “In fact, they should consider letting him leave Cleveland once he’s benched to get his head and body back together. A change of scenery is best for all involved, even though the Browns will be paying off the final $86 million of his fully guaranteed, five-year $230 million contract for years to come.”
Cabot’s proposal follows a 34-10 season-opening loss to Jacksonville. Watson threw an interception on Cleveland’s first possession and finished with 205 passing yards. His only touchdown came on a late throw to rookie Denzel Boston with the outcome already decided.
Todd Monken is sticking with Watson for Week 2. But he’ll have to show more than he did in his first four quarters of the season.
Browns QB Deshaun Watson Has Little Left to Fall Back On
Cleveland traded three first-round picks as part of its 2022 deal for Watson and gave him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract, expecting a quarterback who could lift the franchise into Super Bowl contention.
Through his first four seasons, Watson made just 20 starts, going 9-11 with 20 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. Watson’s debut was delayed by an 11-game suspension following sexual misconduct allegations. A shoulder injury ended his 2023 season, and an Achilles tear cut short his 2024 campaign. He missed all of 2025 after needing a second surgery on his Achilles.
Now in the final season of his contract, Watson needs to give Cleveland a football reason to keep playing him. His best years in Houston are becoming increasingly distant, and another unsuccessful comeback would leave little recent evidence for another team to build a case around.
Another starting opportunity would be a difficult sell. Even a backup job could prove hard to find given his performance, injury history and the scrutiny another signing would invite.
Shedeur Sanders Faces His Own Fight for Browns Future
Sanders appears positioned for another opportunity if Watson falters. Keeping the job beyond this season would require considerably more than providing an improvement over the veteran.
The second-year quarterback finished his rookie season with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, completing 56.6% of his passes. He would need to show greater consistency, protect the ball and run Monken’s offense well enough to persuade Cleveland to build around him.
Without that progress, the draft looks like the Browns’ likeliest route to a long-term answer. Texas quarterback Arch Manning is already part of that conversation.
“Haslam wants (Texas QB) Arch Manning, that’s what this is really all about,” an anonymous longtime NFL personnel executive told Jason La Canfora.
The same executive expressed uncertainty about whether Manning would enter the draft, and Cleveland’s ability to acquire him would depend on its draft position and his availability.
Browns Urged to Send Deshaun Watson Home Ahead of Week 2