The narrative around the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback has evolved since the season opened.
From what was once “Deshaun Watson will be benched by the home opener,” it transitioned to “Will he be the starter next week,” then to “Watson’s runway has gotten longer,” to the current “Watson is going to be the starting quarterback the rest of the season, unless he gets injured.”
Winning cures many things in the NFL, and nowhere is that truer than in Cleveland, where the Browns are first in the AFC
North after Sunday’s win over the Baltimore Ravens.
The Browns are winning despite, as ESPN’s Ben Solak highlights, Watson being:
- fourth in interception/sack rate per dropback at 11.8%,
- third worst in explosive pass rate at 9.1%,
- second worst in completion percentage over expectation.
Solak also fairly points out that the offensive line is not doing Watson any favors as he is facing the fourth-highest pressure rate among all quarterbacks (40%), and the rushing attack is the worst in the league by success rate (34.4%).
Of course, how much of that pressure is due to Watson holding onto the ball forever is open to debate, but there is no doubt he is an equal contributor when it comes to operating under pressure.
Now, just because the starting quarterback decision is off head coach Todd Monken’s plate, these are still the Browns, so another in-season decision is looming on the horizon.
That is because the club is only one week away from having to determine the makeup of the quarterback room for the rest of the season.
Cleveland opened the 21-day practice window for Dillon Gabriel on October 6, meaning that window comes to a full close on October 27. By then, general manager Andrew Berry and Monken must decide if they are going to:
- Put Gabriel on the 53-man roster,
- Return Gabriel to injured reserve for the rest of the season.
- Trade Gabriel
- Release Gabriel
The decision is complicated by the fact that Shedeur Sanders and rookie Taylen Green are also on the roster, so the Browns must decide if it is smart to keep four quarterbacks on the roster, especially with injuries hitting some other key areas.
When Gabriel first came off injured reserve, Monken was asked about the prospect of having four quarterbacks, and he smartly answered that he didn’t have to think about it for three weeks.
The Browns can always release Green and sign him back to the practice squad if no one claims him. But that runs the risk of losing the weekly call from some media members for the team to use valuable practice time to develop a “Taylen Green package” to shock and awe opposing defenses.
As stated, they could see if another team is interested in Gabriel, who is often described as someone destined to have a career as a reliable backup. So, he has that going for him.
Then there is what to do with Sanders, who recently hired an agent in a “nothing to see here, just everyday stuff” move last week?
It continues to appear that Sanders will not see the field this season, and the Browns are going to have a new quarterback room in 2027, so could his agent work to see if a deal is out there? Especially as it seems like each week a new team crops up in need of a quarterback?
Speaking of which, the Philadelphia Eagles find themselves in a lost season after putting quarterback Jalen Hurts on injured reserve for the rest of the year. And Berry’s twin brother, Adam, just so happens to be the assistant general manager in Philadelphia, so that would be an easy phone call between the two that could result in a deal. But only if both parties are interested, of course.
It’s all speculation for now, and the Browns have been busy winning close games to put any public-facing focus on the situation.
But the clock is ticking, and by this time next week a decision will have to be made.
Whichever way the Browns go, it should make for an interesting day.
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