Every game that goes by with Deshaun Watson as the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback, the closer it gets to him having that job next season as well. Once thought to be an impossibility, Watson and the Browns could wind up agreeing on a contract that would continue their resurgent relationship.
There is a long, long way to go before those bridges that once looked burned need to be crossed. But if the winning ways continue, and Cleveland earns an unexpected playoff berth, it might be in the best interest of both sides to stick together.
According to Cleveland.com insider Mary Kay Cabot, the Browns could make a surprising contract decision with Watson and keep him with the organization.
“But if he continues to play well — he’s currently No. 8 in the NFL with a 101.2 rating — the Browns will consider re-signing him after the season. The season is still young and a lot can happen, but Watson has demonstrated that he’s got plenty left in the tank and is flourishing under Todd Monken,” Cabot wrote.
As recently as mid-August, it didn’t seem like there was any chance this could happen. Watson became an even more loathsome figure to fans after his remarks reacting to their booing during a preseason game. Yet, Monken stuck by him and named him the starting quarterback less than 48 hours later.
Watson has rewarded the head coach’s confidence and won back at least some of the fans with three game-winning fourth-quarter scoring drives. At 3-1, Cleveland is in first place in the AFC North with a relatively forgiving schedule over the coming weeks, starting with a Week 5 game against the New York Jets.
There are issues to sort out based on multiple restructurings of Watson’s original, fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract. But if the Browns can overcome them, they could pursue either a short-term bridge deal that would allow them to develop a quarterback from the 2027 NFL Draft, or a longer-term agreement that would continue the relationship well into the future.
“When Browns GM Andrew Berry first traded for Watson (in 2022), he hoped it would be a 10-year proposition, and he’s still only 31,” Cabot wrote.
That would be a big investment after just four games, so the Browns should remain patient. In addition, Watson could look to explore the market, especially if he proves that he has become the league’s latest QB reclamation project.
First things first, Watson needs to continue to play well, and if he does, the rest should take care of itself.
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