Even if Deshaun Watson wins the Cleveland Browns‘ starting quarterback job, both sides appear headed in different directions when the season ends.
Watson is in the final year of his fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract with no realistic path to an extension. Jason Lloyd of The Athletic made the case that playing Watson serves no long-term purpose for the franchise. He believes the job should go to Shedeur Sanders, regardless of how the veteran has looked in minicamp.
“There is no case to make for Deshaun, as far as I’m concerned,” Lloyd said on The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show. “I’ve been hard on Shedeur but I’ve been consistent. If you have to choose between Deshaun and Shedeur, there’s no comparison. I’m playing Shedeur. The odds aren’t high but it’s higher than them giving Deshaun another contract. Because those odds are zero.”
The Watson Contract Problem Has No Answer
Watson has not played a full season since 2020, missed all of last year recovering from two Achilles surgeries, and has thrown just 19 touchdowns against 12 interceptions across 19 games in Cleveland.
Even if Watson defied the odds and regained his Pro Bowl form, Lloyd thinks it’s unlikely he remains in Cleveland. Ultimately, playing Watson would put the Browns in the same position they are now.
“Under no circumstances would I ever give Deshaun Watson another contract if I’m the Browns,” Lloyd said. “And even if you did give him one, I don’t think he would sign it. So what are we doing here? What are they trying to accomplish? Aare you trying to win games, or are you trying to eventually win the Super Bowl? Those are two different things to me.”
Lloyd has been one of the more vocal skeptics of Shedeur Sanders in Cleveland media circles. Earlier this offseason, he cited anonymous sources questioning Sanders’ film study habits and later doubled down, saying he had “never seen a story like this where what is said behind the doors and the public narrative is this far off.” But his latest comments are less about a change of heart on Sanders and more about the reality surrounding Watson. The Browns gain little by continuing to invest in a quarterback with no clear long-term future in Cleveland.
Browns Have Improved Supporting Cast
Sanders finished his rookie season 3-4 as a starter, throwing for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. There were flashes of intriguing upside, particularly with his off-schedule playmaking and ability to create under pressure. But he was also operating behind a patchwork offensive line and with a limited group of playmakers around him.
The Browns made a clear effort to change that this offseason. Cleveland used its first three draft picks on offensive players, adding left tackle Spencer Fano and wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston to help reshape the unit around the quarterback position.
“I think what you see is elite playmaking ability. That’s in him,” coach Todd Monken said of Sanders. “You’ve seen it. We’ve seen it. You saw it in college. You saw it on tape last year. Sure, there’s a ways to go. But what rookie isn’t, I mean, what first year player doesn’t have a long way to go?”
Cleveland has had just a handful of offseason practices, so Sanders is by no means out of the race.
Browns Hit With Ugly Truth About Deshaun Watson’s Plan