Two months ago, nobody expected the Cleveland Browns to be where they are now, heading into a Week 8 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers with a chance to move to 6-2 and sweep the Steelers for the first time since 1988. The assumed outcome for this season was that quarterback Deshaun Watson would crash and burn before being benched ahead of Week 3 en route to another rebuilding year and maybe a 4-13 record.
That assumption couldn’t have been more wrong. This defense hasn’t missed a beat since trading Myles Garrett and the offense has shown significant improvement with Watson leading the charge and playing by far his best football since joining the team. It’s still hard to believe, but things are going so well that there are even rumors floating around that Watson could be retained beyond the 2026 season.
That notion would have been completely unheard of prior to this season with most fans looking toward the 2027 draft to find the next franchise quarterback. However, with Watson consistently cooking up game-winning drives and the young talent continuing to blossom around him, ESPN’s Adam Schefter chimed in on Thursday regarding his potential future in Cleveland.
“We’re seven games into the season. There’s still ten more games in which this organization is going to judge Deshaun Watson by. If and when he’s a free agent quarterback, are teams going to be lining up to sign him? That’s hard to imagine. He has found a fit in Cleveland. He likes the Browns. The Browns like him,” Schefter said.
Does Deshaun Watson have a future in Cleveland? 👀@AdamSchefter and @Hawk weigh in ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/rhYsk7GO1B
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) October 29, 2026
He added that just because Watson has played well thus far, it doesn’t mean that the Browns are going to stop looking elsewhere just yet, especially with two first-round picks in 2027. His comments indicate that the Browns are just living in the moment and that this is more of a topic of conversation for the offseason.
Sunday will be a massive test for Watson, who just beat the Steelers a few weeks ago and can continue winning over these fans if he can lead his boys to a win in Pittsburgh for the first time since 2003. With each victory, he increases the possibility that he’ll stick around past this season, but as Schefter said, the focus has to stay on the present.
The Browns are winning and Watson looks happy for the first time in years. This is no time to rock the boat and start having conversations about the future. That can all wait a few months because this team is worth watching and investing in right now.
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