The Cleveland Browns entered the 2026 regular season with a sound plan in place to fix the quarterback position.
Get through the season as best they can, clean out all (or at least most) of the current quarterback room after the season, then head into the 2027 NFL Draft armed with a pair of first-round selections to draft the next presumed franchise quarterback.
It appears, however, that Deshaun Watson never got the memo.
Despite being mostly bad at the things teams generally need their quarterbacks
to be good at, Watson and the offense have been good enough when it counted to pull off fourth-quarter game-winning drives in all four of Cleveland’s wins this season. That is the highest total through six games for a Cleveland quarterback since Baker Mayfield did it during his rookie season in 2018.
That, along with a defense that continually exerts its will and a special teams unit that has been solid, has the Browns sitting in first place in the AFC North Division heading into Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans.
It has also opened up the possibility of doing what was once unthinkable, which is signing Watson to a new contract after the season.
At least that is the speculation from The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones, who caught up this week with owner Jimmy Haslam at the NFL league meetings.
And while Haslam said there is still a lot of football to be played, he admitted he likes what he has seen so far:
“That’s way premature to talk about (a new contract). We’re just focused on beating the (Tennessee) Titans. People have to respect the way that he’s battled back from the injuries. And then you look at the game-winning drives. We’ve got to be able to keep that up.”
While a clean break after five years of turmoil would seem to be in everyone’s best interest, an unnamed league source pointed out that the Browns could be Watson’s only option if he still wants to be a starting quarterback:
“The door is wide open for him to be with the Browns. It’s the only line on a starting quarterback job he’ll have. And even if you are in position to take one high (in the draft), or get in position to do so, you’re in no rush to play the rookie.”
Cleveland being Watson’s only option is a bit debatable, as the NFL is still a league where teams are desperate for quarterback play. But there is always going to be the question of Watson’s off-field issues; even if he truly left those in Houston, a new team would have to weigh them into the equation when deciding if Watson is worth it or not.
Let’s take a step back for a moment. The season is only six games long, so any talk about a new contract for Watson is incredibly premature. Even if the Browns were pondering the idea of a new contract for Watson, it would be one of the most stunning moments in league history if they did anything without letting the season play out.
The key takeaway is that the Browns are in first place and playing meaningful games as we near the end of October. Any talk about the quarterback position for 2027 can take a backseat for now.
What do you think, Browns fans? Would the Browns consider another run with Watson? Should they? Have your say in the comments!
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