For three years, the Browns contorted themselves to match Watson's strengths and desires. The reality is he never fit in.

After a setback in his rehab from an Achilles tear put his football future very much in doubt, it seems like the door is wide open for the Cleveland Browns to move on from Deshaun Watson at quarterback. And not a moment too soon, as Watson has been an abject disaster for the franchise both on and off the field.

It looks like 2026 is the more likely year for Watson to be cut. The Browns would absorb $73 million in dead money but would avoid losing cap space. Regardless, though, it’s going to cost the Browns when they finally do dump Watson.

Three seasons into his Browns tenure, Deshaun Watson has appeared in 19 games. Exclude his early exits versus the Colts in 2023 and Bengals in 2024 and he’s played a 17 full games. That’s the same amount of games as one NFL season,

The Browns have $44.3 million of Watson’s $46 million base salary covered by insurance. Yes, this means that the Browns will see $44.3 million put back into their cap space. However, this policy would not be cashed out until after the 2025 season, so the Browns would see that total recouped in their 2026 cap space.

After the announcement that Deshaun Watson will need surgery and his 2025 season is in doubt, he may be the worst trade ever.

The only silver lining from the season is the fact that the Browns now own the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. This increases their likelihood of targeting one of the tw

Deshaun Watson may never again take a meaningful snap for the Cleveland Browns after the quarterback who first suffered a torn Achilles on Oct. 20 tore the Achilles again during his recovery. It sounds like at least some current Cleveland players set to remain with the club through this offseason will be just fine if Watson remains away from the team.