The Cleveland Browns realized before the 2025 offseason began that the franchise needed a starting quarterback for the upcoming season.
Previous starter Deshaun Watson suffered an Achilles tendon tear in October, requiring surgery to repair the issue.
His subsequent setback, one that the team discovered during his exit physical exam in January, means Cleveland could be without Watson’s services for the entire 2025 season.
The Browns have had multiple opportunities to address this issue during the offseason, a situation that several other franchises addressed during the first wave of the free agency process.
Because Cleveland did not, the Browns are now scrambling to identify more veteran options for this year’s starting role.
It’s a sad state of affairs for the AFC North franchise, according to Browns analyst Jimmy Watkins.
Watkins revealed the hard truth for Cleveland and its potential veteran target Kirk Cousins in a recent article.
“Call it the saddest quarterback hostage case in recent NFL history. The most depressing part? Both Cousins and the Browns need each other. Now that Russell Wilson and Daniel Jones, among other boring bridge quarterbacks, have signed deals, Cleveland lacks answers — or even theories — at football’s most important position,” Watkins said.
Cousins is not a free agent as he’s still under contract with the Atlanta Falcons, meaning the two franchises would need to agree to a trade before Cleveland can acquire his services.
The Browns have 10 picks in the upcoming draft, giving Cleveland some resources it can deploy for Cousins.
Cleveland has been linked to several quarterbacks in the draft, and potentially, the Browns could fill their role with their No. 2 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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