Somehow, someway, despite being the worst trade in NFL history, being called “swing and a miss” by Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, playing (poorly) in just 19 games in three seasons in Cleveland, and missing another year and a half of football due to two Achilles tears, QB Deshaun Watson is still in the dicussion to be the Browns starting quarterback.
In late December, before the 2025 NFL season came to a close, reports came out that Watson would return in 2026, noting his role mentoring QB Shedeur Sanders as a part of the reason. New HC Todd Monken, as well as GM Andrew Berry, were pressed about Watson and Sanders during their media sessions at the NFL combine. Both noted that the job is wide open.
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Now, according to Mike Garafolo of The NFL Network, comes a report that not only is Watson in competition for the job but is the current leader:
Trying to make it make sense comes down to a few factors:
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Coaches are not seeing anyone practicing on the field, so they are basing things on their former opinions
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Watson was very good with the Houston Texans… six years ago
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Team is trying to make sure Sanders continues to work hard this offseason and doesn’t believe he has the job locked up
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Team wants to keep Watson engaged, whether he actually has a shot at the starting job or not
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Watson has the highest upside in the quarterback room
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Garafolo’s source has an ulterior motive
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Watson’s struggles were all or almost all Kevin Stefanski’s fault and injury-related
Any of the above, or a combination of the above, could be true. In the end, offseason activities start soon, the 2026 NFL draft is just around the corner, and a whole lot of time is left between now and when Monken must decide who the starting quarterback is. The veteran coach stepping into his first NFL head coaching job noted that he’d like to have a starter in place by the beginning of training camp, but understands that may not be realistic.
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At this point, almost anything is possible. Even starting a quarterback who has only played in 19 games in five seasons, completed just 61% of his passes during that time, and is coming off two major surgeries and another long layoff from actually playing football.
What do you make of this report? How do you decide which rumors you give credence to and which you do not? Do you think Watson has a realistic chance to start Week 1 of the 2026 season?
Share your Watson thoughts with us in the comment section below
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