The Cleveland Browns did not activate Deshaun Watson for the 2025 season, despite the QB returning to practice. What about 2026?

A reporter asked Browns' GM Andrew Berry about the former Texans QB's future with the team. Berry answered with praise and uncertainty.

"First, I'll say we're very pleased with how Deshaun went through and attacked his rehab this past year. How he engaged with the team, what he did in the meeting rooms, very pleased with the progress that he made in that regard."

After injuring his Achilles twice (October 2024 and January 2025), Watson was in rehab, but he did contribute to the team with his experience. Kevin Stefanski had said that he was supportive in the meeting room on the game field with the players.

Berry also added, "Look, I can never predict the future, but right now we do anticipate him being on the 2026 team. But we have a long way to go before we get to that point with any play." The Browns are also in a kind of position with him.

Cutting Deshaun Watson before June 1 would cause a massive dead-cap hit in 2025 of about $172 million. Even after June 1, the team would still face huge dead money spread into 2026. Trading him helps only a little. A pre-June 1 trade costs about $80 million in 2025, and a post-June 1 trade lowers the 2025 hit but pushes about $54 million into 2026.

A big factor would also be which team would want him on such a high salary. But they might choose to keep him in a mentor role only, as Berry has said that, "We’re going to do our work on the quarterback market." Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel are already in competition for QB1.

Was Kevin Stefanski against the Deshaun Watson trade

The Browns traded for Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans on March 18, 2022. In return for Watson (plus a 2024 sixth-round pick), they gave the Texans three first-round picks (2022, 2023, 2024), a third-rounder (2023), and two fourth-rounders (2022 and 2024).

After the last game of the season, CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco reported, "The organization has made some bad decisions going back to Deshaun Watson. It's the worst trade in the history of the National Football League, and it's crippled that franchise. And so he didn't, from what I was told, he didn't want that trade made. And so he was saddled with Deshaun Watson as his quarterback. It didn't work."

Deshaun Watson signed a five-year, $230 million contract with Cleveland. Was he worth that money? He just started 19 games over four years with a 9-10 record, and a passer rating of 80.7 with 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Clearly not the numbers you would want for that money. What do you think?

Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu