Despite the common perception that the Cleveland Browns need a new quarterback, they do have options to choose from already on their roster. Whether head coach Todd Monken wants to use any of them remains to be seen.
Shedeur Sanders showed some improvement toward the end of last season, after Dillon Gabriel was given the starting job over him. Then there’s Deshaun Watson, a one-time NFL star who has had his time in Cleveland disrupted by suspension and season-ending injuries.
If the Browns enter the 2026 season with only those three QBs, that means Watson will be in the mix, based in part on his prohibitive contract that, in effect, prevents his release. So, there is a good chance he will get back on the field as well.
In fact, insider Tony Grossi is turning heads with his prediction that Watson will start multiple games for the Browns next season.
“I kind of think that’s fact. Even if he’s not the immediate starter. I think Watson will start more than one game,” Grossi said.
Grossi does acknowledge that “multiple games” could mean just two, and that Sanders could start the other 15. It is rare for an NFL quarterback to start every game, and the Browns have had that happen just twice since 2001, when Baker Mayfield did so in 2019 and in 2020, so it is possible Watson will take the first snap on occasion.
However, the fact that he is still in a position to do so could be considered somewhat shocking. Owner Jimmy Haslam has called the 2022 trade that brought Watson in from the Houston Texans a “big swing and miss,” and after his return from a 2024 Achilles injury was delayed by a setback during his rehab, it was speculated that he would never wear a Browns uniform again.
He did return to the team late this past season, but he was never activated, despite showing good form. Now, with the offseason QB market looking very thin, and no help likely coming from the 2026 NFL Draft, the Browns may have no choice but to make the best use of what they have available.
Then, if Watson can show anything close to his former Pro Bowl form, it could surprisingly work out in the end.
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