We heard last month that the Browns would likely retain quarterback Deshaun Watson for 2026, the last year of his contract. General manager Andrew Berry recently confirmed as much, as relayed by Cleveland.com’s Orange and Brown Talk Podcast.
During a recent installment of that podcast, Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot said Watson could find himself as the club’s starting quarterback once again, even if he is only a bridge to a younger passer. Watson has underperformed during his 19 appearances with Cleveland, but the other two QBs currently on the roster – Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel – failed to impress during their rookie campaigns in 2025.
The Browns will again be in the market for a quarterback in the first round of this year’s draft. They are armed with their own No. 6 overall pick and another first-rounder whose position will ultimately be determined by how the Jaguars finish the season, which could help Cleveland’s ability to trade up for a signal-caller if need be.
Regardless of how the Browns’ QB room looks after free agency and the draft, it appears Watson will be in the mix to be the Week 1 starter. Prior reporting indicated he has served as a valuable veteran presence for Sanders and Gabriel, and Cabot adds that the Browns liked what they saw from Watson after they opened his practice window in early December (even though he ultimately saw no game action in 2025 due to his Achilles injury).
Cabot did acknowledge that Watson’s status with the Browns could hinge on whom the team hires to be its next head coach. Former Ravens HC John Harbaugh is widely regarded as the best option on the market at the moment, and he reportedly has interest in the Browns’ gig. Cabot says Cleveland’s longtime divisional foe would be the sole decision-maker on the quarterback situation if the team is able to hire him.
“If you hire a John Harbaugh, he is certainly going to have every bit of say in who his quarterback is going to be,” Cabot said (h/t Yardbarker’s Zac Wassink). “He’s not just going to have input. He’s going to make that decision 100 percent.”
As a member of the Browns, Watson has compiled a 9-10 record, and his best season came in a six-game slate in 2023, when he finished with a traditional quarterback rating of 84.3 and a QBR of 43.7. His contract situation and off-field baggage aside, he has not looked like a viable starting quarterback since 2020, when he was a member of the Texans.
But he will not turn 31 until September, at which time he may have another opportunity to resuscitate his playing career.