Deshaun Watson didn’t see the field last season with the Cleveland Browns but the former Pro Bowler still managed to make a significant impression.
After spending more than a year recovering from a pair of Achilles surgeries, Watson returned to practice for a three-week window in December. The Browns decided to not add Watson to the 53-man roster to close out the season. However, he looked sharp during that span on the practice field and could be a factor next season, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.
“He’ll be on the team next season in the final year of his contract, and was the most talented quarterback on the field during his three-week practice window in December,” Cabot said. “The ball came out very well, and Watson moved well despite undergoing two surgeries to repair his ruptured and re-ruptured Achilles. His arm looked better than it did in 2024, when he was coming off surgery to repair his fractured shoulder.”
Deshaun Watson’s Future Hinges on Browns’ Shedeur Sanders Decision
The Browns will explore all options at quarterback this offseason. If Cleveland drafts a young quarterback with their No. 6 overall pick — or decides to try to move up — Watson could be a potential bridge option.
“The Browns will also have enough salary cap space to sign a veteran bridge quarterback or trade for one, but Watson might fit the bill,” Cabot said.
The team could also move ahead with Shedeur Sanders, who started the final seven games. Sanders showed glimpses of his upside while battling inconsistency. He passed for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions during that span. The Browns went 3-4 in those starts, though Sanders ended the year on a high note with consecutive wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals.
Watson’s path back to the field may be blocked if Sanders remains the starter next season.
“I think it’s just going to be determined by is it going to be Shedeur Sanders? And if Shedeur is going to be the quarterback next season, it seems to me that they would just keep going with him,” Cabot said. “I don’t think they would sit him down on the bench for a while and then let Deshaun go out there and play. That doesn’t seem like it would make.”
Browns ‘Pleased’ With Deshaun Watson
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam labeled the 2022 blockbuster trade for Watson a “swing and miss” during the offseason. Still, the organization has been consistently supportive of Watson since then, praising his approach to rehab and the leadership role he has embraced within the quarterback room as he worked his way back from injury.
“First, 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. Very pleased with the progress that he made in that regard,” Browns GM Andrew Berry said. “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.”
Watson is heading into the final year of the $230 million guaranteed contract he signed after arriving in Cleveland.
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