Some decisions in the NFL seem settled long before they are made. A player’s contract runs out, the team moves on, and both sides go their separate ways. For most of the past few years, that looked like the obvious ending for the Browns and their quarterback. Two months into the season, one of the league’s most connected reporters believes that ending is no longer guaranteed.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Network discussed Deshaun Watson’s future and believes there is a real possibility that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam gives Deshaun Watson a contract extension.
“Day in and day out, [Deshaun Watson] was putting that work in there. You’ve got a scenario potentially in the near future where Jimmy Haslam is gonna write another check. This is a guy that he said they took a big swing and a miss on, and then potentially you’re cutting him another check. That’s the conversation we are inching toward. I understand that a lot of folks are gonna be rolling their eyes and that’ll make them uncomfortable, but that is a reality. He’s already the starting quarterback of the team,” Garafolo said.
“You’ve got a scenario potentially in the near future where Jimmy Haslam is gonna write another check.” 💰
—@MikeGarafolo on Deshaun Watson's season so far with the Browns. pic.twitter.com/wVkNAuMjdG
— Big Day (@BigDayESPN) October 28, 2026
Haslam publicly admitted the Browns took a big swing and missed when they traded for Watson and gave him a fully guaranteed contract in 2022. That deal is in its final season, and few expected the team to consider another one.
Watson’s play has changed that. He leads the NFL with 5 game-winning drives, threw for 308 yards against the Tennessee Titans in his first 300-yard game as a Brown and has Cleveland atop the AFC North at 5-2. The Browns are 2-0 in the division, ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens.
Watson spent nearly 2 years away from the field after multiple Achilles surgeries, and it has been reported that he went through some of the toughest coaching of his Browns career early this season before turning things around.
A new deal would look very different from the old one. The Browns would likely not have to commit anywhere near $46 million a year, and a shorter contract could give them a proven bridge while they develop a younger quarterback. With 2 first-round picks in 2027, plus Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green already on the roster, Cleveland would still have plenty of options.
Garafolo is right that many fans will be uncomfortable with that possibility. But if Watson keeps winning, starting Sunday in Pittsburgh, the Browns may not be able to avoid the conversation.
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