Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has made it clear that the Deshaun Watson trade was a mistake, and it sounded like the organization was fully ready to move on from him at some point.
That may have been premature, as Watson has been showing signs of recovering from his latest Achilles injury earlier than expected and has apparently taken on a new role in the meantime.
Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN recently shared that Watson has been helping rookie quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has praised the veteran’s presence.
“He goes out of his way to help [Dillon] talk through some coverages, talk through things like that,” Rees said.
Browns OC Tommy Rees said that both Bailey Zappe and Deshaun Watson have been helpful with Cleveland's top 2 QBs being rookies. Rees said Watson's relationship with Dillon Gabriel has "really been positive."
"He goes out of his way to help him talk through some coverages, talk…
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) October 23, 2025
Figuring out if this team’s quarterback of the future is on the roster is the most important subplot of this season, and whether that’s Gabriel, Sanders or Watson, the organization has to have a clearer idea of the situation heading into a crucial offseason when it will have two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Watson’s tenure in Cleveland has gone about as poorly as anyone could have envisioned, and few are holding out any hope that he can bounce back and become the franchise QB the Browns thought they were getting in the 2022 trade with the Houston Texans.
It’s good to hear that he is still involved, even though he is unable to play, and if he never suits up for the Browns again, he can hopefully provide some useful wisdom for Gabriel and Sanders.
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