It’s been a grueling process for veteran quarterback Deshaun Watson to get back on the field after rupturing his Achilles last season and then re-injuring it during the offseason. The Browns opened his practice window on Wednesday.
Since being cleared, Watson has primarily been mentoring the team’s two young quarterbacks, Dillon Gabriel and current starter Shedeur Sanders.
Back in March 2022, Watson signed a massive five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract, which at this point is nearly unmovable across the league, given his injury history and inconsistent performance in Cleveland.
Yet, the Browns seem committed to having Watson back for the 2026 season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, “Though quarterback Deshaun Watson is unlikely to play this season, the Cleveland Browns are planning to have him on their roster next season.”
Schefter added, “There are varied reasons the team expects Watson back next season, with money being a factor. Moving on from him would be costly, as the Browns would incur a dead salary cap charge of close to $135 million if they released him before June 1 and a $53 million cap charge if he were designated a post-June 1 cap casualty.”
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“I appreciate how they are leaning into the worst contract in NFL history lol,” a fan said.
Someone else added, “This shows that they’re not confident in the young guys that they drafted.”
Another person wrote, “another year, another set of controversies for the Browns.”
“Worst trade AND contract in History for all sports included!!!” One more fan commented.
There also remains a possibility that Watson could compete for the starting job next season, depending on how the final five games play out. For now, the expectation is that Sanders will start each game as the Browns continue to evaluate their two rookie quarterbacks.
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